There was the bizarre sight this morning of leading Spanish golfer Rafa Cabrera-Bello spotted topless in the back of BMW French Open courtesy car.

Cabrera-Bello had just gotten into the car from the Pulman Hotel and located just 500 meters from the front gates of the Versailles Palace.

There was long queues of school children walking along the footpath outside the hotel and headed for a day’s out at the Palace.

But on closer inspection, and with Cabrera-Bello’s car stopped at a traffic light, here was Cabrera-Bello with a needle and thread in his hand.

And when asked after his round why he was topless in the back seat of the BMW he offered a simple explanation.

“I have a new sponsor this week and it’s a self-adhesive logo but I was just sewing the corners down so it would stay on,” he said.

Rafael Cabrera Bello spotted shirtless in the back of a BMW on route to the first round of the French Open. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)