Hot putter carries Robert MacIntyre to three-shot lead at BMW Championship

WASHINGTON – Robert MacIntyre used a red-hot putter to birdie the last six holes and surge to a three-shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood in the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship in Maryland on Aug 14.

The Scot delivered a masterclass on the rain-soaked greens at Caves Valley after an afternoon thunderstorm halted first-round play for more than two hours.

“The last six holes is probably as good as I’ve ever putted in a stretch of holes, just so consistent,” MacIntyre said after posting an eight-under 62 to tie his career low.

“When you get the eye on, it’s free flowing and it’s nice.”

His late burst carried him past American world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler – who was in the clubhouse on four-under 66 and ended the day alone in third. Englishman Fleetwood overtook him with a 33-foot birdie at No. 18 to cap a 65.

Two under after his second bogey of the day on No. 12, MacIntyre poured in a 66-foot birdie putt at the par-three 13th to launch his scoring closing run.

He followed with a 40-footer at No. 14 and a 17-foot birdie at the next. He fired out of the rough to 12 feet at the 16th and curled in that birdie putt, then drained a 22-footer at the tough par-three 17th.

MacIntyre capped his round with a five-foot birdie at the last.

The 29-year-old’s longest birdie streak on the PGA Tour – beating his previous of four straight – helped him match his career-low round on tour.

MacIntyre, who finished runner-up to J.J. Spaun at the US Open in June, said he had learnt during the final-round rain suspension at Oakmont and kept himself warmed up during the Aug 14 delay.

“It came at a tough time, but it gave the course a little more to us,” he said. “The greens were really slick early on when they were dry. When I went back out, they felt a little bit slower, a little bit smoother.”

Fleetwood had five birdies in an impressive bogey-free round, bouncing back after a late fade on Aug 10 at the St Jude Championship saw him come up short in his latest bid for a first US tour title.

Scheffler, whose four victories this season include Major triumphs at the PGA Championship and the British Open, got off to a strong start with three birdies in the first four holes.

After back-to-back bogeys at nine and 10, he birdied three of his last four.

Scheffler said the course was “significantly softer” after the storm delay.

“Golf course definitely got a bit easier but did a good job of taking advantage of the holes I had left,” he said.

Fifty players are in the field this week and Scheffler, the leader in the play-off points race, is already assured of making it into the 30-player field for next week’s Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Rory McIlroy, world No. 2 and second in the play-off standings who opted to skip the first play-off event, carded an “awful” even-par 70 that featured three bogeys and three birdies. AFP