Tour pro owns up after almost wiping out Sky Sports Golf duo with stray ball
Portuguese professional golfer Ricardo Gouveia owned up after he almost struck Iona Stephen and Paul McGinley with a loose shot from the chipping green at the K Club.
Portuguese professional golfer Ricardo Gouveia owned up after he almost struck Paul McGinley and Iona Stephen with a loose shot from the chipping green at the K Club.
Past European Ryder Cup captain McGinley and former aspiring pro turned presenter Stephen were discussing the second day of action at the Amgen Irish Open when they were forced to quickly duck for cover.
"Don't worry, we forgive you," chimed Stephen. "But you're meant to be a pro."
Footage of the moment quickly spread on social media, with rampant speculation as to who was the guilty party.
Gouveia, 34, has now owned up. "I take the blame," he wrote on Instagram. "Sorry @ionastephen @paulmcginley14"
Perhaps it's no surprise Gouveia hit a dodgy shot, as rounds of 74 and 84 saw the golfer reach a 36-hole total of 14-over par and miss the cut by a country mile.
His second round included five bogeys, three double bogeys, three birdies and one quadruple bogey. Remarkably, Gouveia made his snowman without losing a ball.
Watch the moment here:
"You're meant to be a pro!"
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) September 5, 2025
Narrow escape for Iona Stephen & Paul McGinley pic.twitter.com/wZZFYo5UJf
Rory McIlroy surges into contention
At the other end of the leaderboard, reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy fired a bogey-free 66 on Friday to move into contention.
The 36-year-old is chasing his first victory since completing the career grand slam at The Masters in April.
McIlroy, the World No.2, birdied four of his final six holes to reach 7-under par.
He trailed 36-hole leader Joakim Lagergren by five shots.
"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," he said.
McIlroy's first round was marred by the fact his group were placed on the clock for playing too slowly.
An agitated McIlroy later complained he wasn't being slow, but the large crowds and camera crews slowed them down.
The aforementioned McGinley stated on Sky Sports that the Ulsterman was still ticked by what transpired before he began his second round.
Ben Smith joined the GolfMagic team in September 2021, initially as a content executive.
These days, he assumes the position of content manager.
