After months of a solitary existence in the European Tour’s strict bubble, David Law is relishing a bit of normality again.
He’s also savouring a place in the top-10 of the abrdn Scottish Open after a second successive 67 hoisted the Aberdonian up to an eight-under total, just three shots off the halfway lead.
Law has his wife and two young children on site this week, the first time he’s enjoyed that kind of company in the pandemic.
“Having them here has made a huge difference,” he said. “You’re not sitting about the room alone thinking about golf all the time. You don’t get the chance.”
Law began his second round with a bogey on the first hole. It could’ve been worse. “I had to hole a 20 footer for my bogey and that was actually massive,” he added of that exercise in damage limitation.
Robert MacIntyre showed his fighting spirit and, buoyed by the home galleries, rallied on the run-in to jump to a five-under aggregate.
The Oban left-hander, playing alongside Lee Westwood and world No 4 Collin Morikawa, had been flirting with the cut line after a couple of bogeys but he steadied the ship and birdied three of his last six holes in a spirited 69.
A long putt on the 18th was a rousing last hurrah. Westwood and Morikawa both did likewise with birdie putts of their own in excess of 20-feet. “The home crowd have been absolutely brilliant,” said MacIntyre. “Even when I started struggling with short putts missed, they were cheering me up. I can't thank them enough.”
Local man Grant Forrest also sits on five-under with Richie Ramsay and Connor Syme back on four-under and Calum Hill making the weekend on two-under.
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