60: If You Thought Robert Rock Was Moving Into Instruction, You Weren't Entirely Wrong

From Phillip Reid’s Irish Times game story after Matt Wallace instructor Robert Rock—best known for his hair and a heartbreaking loss in this tournament a decade agao—posted a 60 at Lahinch, the lowest in Irish Open history and a new course record. His putt on 18 just missed for the second 59 in European Tour history, but it’s been his move toward teaching that makes this so shocking:

In truth, Rock’s round came from nowhere. He’s effectively a part-time tour professional these days, sharing his playing workload by coaching Matt Wallace among others, and his best performance so far this season was a tied-25th finish in the British Masters. At 147th in the Race to Dubai and ranked 333rd in the world, few saw this score coming.

Also on the line: three spots in The Open, with several contenders needing to play well to get in, including Cormac Sharvin of Co. Down, who is currently one of three that would entry via the Open Qualifying Series.