Two DP World Tour pros have been disqualified from the Nexo Championship at Trump International Golf Links in Scotland this week before the culmination of the second round.
The returning event potentially promised so much for England’s Sam Bairstow and Scotland’s Calum Hill before a ball was struck in anger this week, with Bairstow among the betting favorites and Hill aiming for a second win of the season on home soil.
And while winning a maiden DP World Tour title was certainly on Bairstow’s radar, he had first and foremost been hoping to recover from what had been a pretty tough stretch recently.
The 26-year-old has missed three cuts and withdrawn from another of his five most recent appearances, with a T65th finish at the Genesis Scottish Open his only full week since a T16th at the Soudal Open in May.
However, an error picked up at the conclusion of his opening round on Scotland’s north-east coast has cost him the chance to bounce back in style.
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Having headed into the scorer’s tent to sign for what he believed to be a one-over 73, it was later realized that Bairstow had – in fact – carded a three-over 75.
The sticking point for the left-hander arrived at the par-4 14th hole on Trump International Golf Links’ Old Course where Bairstow wrote down a five when he had apparently shot a seven.
Bairstow’s confusion had likely stemmed from the fact he had missed the fairway with his tee shot and was forced to hit a provisional. Evidently having not found his original tee shot, the Englishman played on and tapped in thinking he had made bogey – a mistake which neither of his playing partners had picked up on either.
Before the mix-up, Bairstow was three-under through 13 holes and in position to challenge round-one leader, Richard Sterne at five-under. The former Challenge Tour winner had recorded four birdies and one bogey prior to stumbling down the back nine.
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Following what was a triple-bogey seven at 14, Bairstow went on to double-bogey 15 and drop another stroke at the par-5 closing hole.
The World No.198 will not pick up any Race To Dubai points this week and is predicted to fall down from 54th to 58th in the season-long race.
Golf Monthly has contacted Bairstow’s agency for comment.
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