If Ricardo Gonzalez should capture this week’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open he will be known as the ‘Salt-and-Vinegar’ crisps champion after a bizarre incident at the seventh hole on day two of the event at Castle Stuart.

The four-time Tour winner went looking for his ball after a poor drive down only to learn his ball had landed in a woman’s carry bag.

Exclusive photo - Ricardo Gonzalez looking for his ball in a woman's carry bag. (Photo - Stuart Adams/www.golftourimages.com)

But on closer inspection Gonzalez’s ball had come to rest inside a packet of salt-and-vinegar crisps within her bag.

“It was funny when I got there we couldn’t find my ball and a woman said it was in his packet of crisps,” said Gonzalez (smiling).

Gonzalez was then observed rummaging through the woman’s bag looking for the ball.

“I marked the spot with a tee and picked up the crisps and gave the packet back to her,” he said.

“She then offered me a chip and they tasted very good.”

Scottish-born caddy, Dave Renwick, and a five-time Major winning bagman, then gave Gonzalez the yardage and his 5-iron second shot to just six feet for the sixth of seven birdies in his round.

Gonzalez then signed a glove and presented it to the middle-aged woman.

“I gave the woman a signed glove, so she was very happy,” he said.

“But it’s not the first time something like this has happened to me as there was a time at Wentworth when a ball I hit ended up in a baby’s trolley but I was lucky as there was no baby in the trolley.”

The affable Argentinean eventually signed for an equal best round of the day, an eight-under par 64, to move into a share of third place on 11-under par.

Gonzalez has also put himself in position to seal one of the two remaining places into next week’s Open  Championship by finishing the leading player among the top-five finishes on Sunday who are otherwise not exempt into golf’s oldest Major.