Portuguese golfer Ricardo Gouveia has admitted responsibility after nearly striking Iona Stephen and Paul McGinley with a wayward shot at the K Club.
The incident occurred while former Ryder Cup captain McGinley and broadcaster Stephen were discussing the second round of the Amgen Irish Open for Sky Sports Golf. Their conversation was suddenly interrupted as they were forced to duck out of the way of a stray shot from the nearby chipping green.
Stephen handled the moment with humor, saying:
“Don’t worry, we forgive you. But you’re meant to be a pro.”
Clips of the near miss quickly went viral, with fans speculating about which player was behind the errant shot. Gouveia, 34, ended the guessing game by posting on Instagram:
“I take the blame. Sorry @ionastephen @paulmcginley14.”
Unfortunately, Gouveia’s struggles on the course continued. Scores of 74 and 84 left him at 14-over par, missing the cut by a wide margin. His second round was eventful, featuring five bogeys, three double bogeys, three birdies, and a quadruple bogey — all without losing a ball.
Rory McIlroy Moves Into Contention
While Gouveia’s tournament ended early, Rory McIlroy surged up the leaderboard with a flawless second-round 66. The reigning Masters champion carded four birdies over his final six holes to move to 7-under par, just five shots behind leader Joakim Lagergren.
McIlroy, 36, is seeking his first win since claiming the career grand slam at Augusta in April.
“Obviously the two boys are a little bit ahead of the rest of the pack, but I feel like I’m close enough — if I do have a good weekend — to chase them down,” McIlroy said.
His opening round was slightly overshadowed by a slow-play warning for his group, which left him frustrated. McIlroy later argued that the pace of play was affected by the large crowds and television coverage rather than the players themselves.
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