Golf’s weekend warriors can relate to the plight of Ken Weyand.
It’s been a trying couple of days for Weyand, who sits dead last in the Dubai Invitational at a whopping 27-over par, 37 shots behind leader Rory McIlroy after two rounds.
But who is Weyand?
The 54-year-old is a friend and employee of basketball legend Michael Jordan and is playing as one of two sponsor’s invites in the 60-man tournament.
Weyand is the director of golf at Jordan’s exclusive Floridian course Grove XXIII and received an invite because the Bulls great wanted to play in the tournament before subsequently pulling out.
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Weyand doesn’t have a world ranking, nor has he played in a DP Tour event before, so his entry into the season-opening Dubai Invitational was sure to raise some eyebrows – especially considering it’s an exclusive event.
Multiple Tour winner Eddie Pepperell expressed his frustration on social media site X, posting:
“Limited field of only 60 pros, and old Ken Weyand gets an invite and then does this. I don’t care if he’s Ken from Barbie – it shouldn’t happen.”
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A breakdown of Weyand’s round is quite jarring to read.
Through 36 holes, Weyand recorded 11 bogeys, seven double-bogeys and even a triple-bogey.
His playing partner Richard Mansell, who sits in the top 20 at three-under par said it was “distracting”.
“Yeah, it’s been a tricky few days and I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t distracting,” Mansell said, per The Telegraph.
“Look, I saw what Eddie posted and I’ve read a few more comments and I can understand where they’re coming from. But the way I look at it is that without the sponsor, this tournament doesn’t happen.
“So for their special two invites, or whatever they got this week, they can invite who they want, I suppose.”
MCILROY FIGHTS BACK TO MAINTAIN THE LEAD
At 10-under, McIlroy leads the tournament by two shots over Yannick Paul and Jeff Winther (both -8).
The world number two made a flying start with an opening nine-under-par 62 and stretched further clear early in the second round with birdies on the third and fourth holes.
But he hit two balls into the water on the par-three eighth en route to a potentially ruinous seven.
However McIlroy, who has won five European Tour titles in Dubai, restored his advantage with three more birdies on the back nine to card a one-under 70 for a 10-under total.
“I think if I look at the other 17 holes that I played, I played very, very well again,” said the four-time major champion.
“Hit some good iron shots.
“Played not too dissimilarly to the way I played yesterday. I maybe holed a couple more putts yesterday but the conditions were getting a little trickier.”
McIlroy made headlines earlier this week when he claimed a “world tour” was his “dream scenario” for golf as talks aimed at ending the split in the sport caused by breakaway circuit LIV Golf continue.
German Yannik Paul remained two strokes behind despite a run of three bogeys in five holes in his round of 70.
Dane Jeff Winther fired a joint-best round of the day with a 66 to join Paul in a tie for second place, with Tommy Fleetwood one of five players a shot further back.
— AFP