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The 26-year-old has missed three cuts and withdrawn from another of his five most recent appearances, with a T65th finish at the Genesis Scottish Open his only full week since a T16th at the Soudal Open in May.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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Less than 24 hours later, Hill was also ejected from the Nexo Championship after failing to hole out at the eighth – his penultimate of the day.
The two-time DP World Tour winner was enduring something of a frustrating afternoon in tough conditions further up the coast from which the Kirkcaldy-born pro grew up before taking matters into his own hands.
He finished round one on four-over courtesy of a torrid back nine on Thursday and was unable to arrest the negative momentum in his subsequent trip around the links layout.
Hill made bogey at the par-5 first on Friday and then again at the par-4 third to kick off his second round in underwhelming fashion. As if to sum his week, a birdie at the par-4 15th was immediately cancelled out with a dropped shot at the par-3 next.
Caum Hill won his second DP World Tour title at the Joburg Open earlier this year
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At six-over as he made the turn and knowing three-over was likely to be the cut line, the 30-year-old birdied the par-5 first before bogeying the second after doing likewise in round one.
Another bogey followed at the par-5 fourth, only for Hill to make a second birdie of the week on the par-4 fifth. His tournament lasted only two more holes, however, as Hill missed his par putt from inside nine feet at the eighth – his 17th.
Two more failed attempts at holing out from inside a couple of feet caused Hill to decide enough was enough and call it a day.
Like Bairstow, Hill will not collect anything for his efforts in Scotland but is not due to fall beyond his current position of 26th in the Race To Dubai.
