Connor Syme stunned to hit first tour hole in-one straight after starting with 7 in BMW

Rory McIlroy isn’t the only player to have made a first tour hole-in-one this week. Two days after the world No 3 recorded his ace in the Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour, Connor Syme emulated the feat in the BMW International Open on the DP World Tour.

Connor Syme celebrates his hole in one on the second hole during day three of the BMW International Open at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried in Germany. Picture: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images.

The Scot holed a 5-iron at the 220-yard second at Golfclub München Eichenried in the third round, joining Japan’s Takumi Kanaya (12th in the first round) and Dutchman Joost Luiten (eighth in the second round) in recording aces in this week’s $2 million event.

Syme’s shot to savour in Bavaria was a timely boost after he started with a triple-bogey 7. “What a stupid game, honestly,” he joked after signing for a four-under-par 68, which lifted him into the top 15, albeit, sitting on six-under, with eight shots to make up on Dutchman Joost Luiten.

“Ryan (McGuigan, his caddie) was trying to keep me upbeat after taking the triple at the first as it’s not how you are expecting to start the day, especially after feeling good from yesterday, when I finished well to make the weekend,” added the Drumoig-based player. “It just shows you. Don’t get too annoyed and maybe good things will happen (smiling).”

Connor Syme hits his 5-iron tee shot at the 220-yard second hole at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried. Picture: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images.

With compatriot Bob MacIntyre watching as he waited to play his approach at the first in the match behind, Syme created history by becoming the first player to make a hole-in-one at the second at this venue since it was re-designed.

“To be fair, it never left the flag but, at the same time, you are never expecting it to go in,” he admitted. “But it bounced and was online for ages and, as it kept rolling and rolling, I was like, ‘is that going to go in?’ It’s been good to me so far this week - a 2 and 1.”

A fully-electric BMW i5 worth around £85,000 is up for grabs this week, but, unfortunately for Syme and also Kanaya and Luiten, that is on offer at the 17th. “I was in so much shock after holing it after making a 7 that I didn’t look to see if a car was a prize until I had got off the tee and, of course, there wasn’t,” said Syme, ruefully.

Though unsure exactly how many he’s had, his last one came almost exactly a year ago, “I had one on the last day of this last year on the New Course at St Andrews,” recalled the 27-year-old. “I was playing with my dad (Stuart, who is also his coach and owns Drumoig Golf Centre) and that was a pretty cool one. I holed an 8-iron at the fifth and he’s so sentimental with things. I was so buzzing about it as it was my first one in ages. But next tee I sparked it and lost the ball in the bushes (laughing). So, when I got this one, I was like ‘I’ll sign this one for him and put it in the bag’. This one is safe, so he’ll get it when I get back to Drumoig.”

Connor Syme is congratulated by playing partner Rafa Cabrera Bello after making the first hole-in-one of his DP World Tour career. Picture: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images.

As the temperature started to soar again after searing heat earlier in the week was followed by a dreich day on Friday, the former Australian Amateur champion rounded off a plucky effort that also contained seven birdies by producing a lovely up and down at the last, where the pin was in a treacherous spot close to the water and a heavy hand would have proved costly.

“It was a tough chip,” said Syme. “Ryan actually said to me that it bizarrely was a tougher shot than the hole-in-one as it’s a 5-iron and you are just trying to hit it up somewhere by the pin. But, with that, I had to show a good touch and feel as if I could easily have hit it in the water, so I was pleased with that.”

It left him sitting in a tie for 15th alongside Calum Hill on six-under, one ahead of MacIntyre. “I’m still a fair bit back from the lead,” acknowledged Syme of being a fair distance behind Luiten after he stormed into the lead with a bogey-free seven-under 65. “But, if I can have another good round tomorrow, who knows. Hopefully I can push myself into contention.”

Hill, who’d signed for a bogey-free card in the second circuit, dropped a shot at the opening hole then another one at the third. Under the circumstances, he did well to eventually sign for a one-under 71

“Yeah, quite pleased considering I didn’t get off to a good start,” he declared afterwards of that effort. “I made a few seven and eight-footers on the back nine and a good two-putt on the last. Just didn’t really have it on the scoring side today, but it’s not too bad. It will be tough to win a golf tournament now, but at least if I have a good round tomorrow, I can have a decent finish.”

MacIntyre has played the back nine in ten-under-par so far this week. “I’m just not as comfortable on the front nine. It’s more enclosed,” he said of struggling, in contrast, on that stretch. “On the back nine, you’ve just got to grow up and hit golf shots. You can be aggressive and I feel as though I can use my flair, I suppose.

“The front nine is killing me, but it’s always killed me. That fourth hole, I’m going to look back at it at the end of the week and see exactly how many shots I’ve dropped there. I reckon that in my three or four times playing here, I will probably be ten-over-par.”

In addition to a change of both coach and caddie, the Oban man also has a new putter in his bag this week. “It’s something similar to what I really putted well with previously,” he said. “It’s a Scotty [Cameron] and it feels good in the hands. I’ve adjusted the stance a wee bit to get back to feeling more natural and it’s going in the hole.”