ROBERT MACINTYRE CARDED a brilliant 62 to hold a three-shot lead after day one of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club.
The Scot was among the later starters that got to take advantage of softer conditions after a two-hour rain delay, with darkness preventing Bud Cauley from completing his opening round.
Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy are eight shots behind, after both carding level-par 70s. Lowry made a hot start with three birdies in a row, before dropping a shot on the seventh. Bogeys outweighed birdies on the back nine, four to two. McIlroy, meanwhile, birdied on the third, ninth and 10th, and bogeyed on holes two, four and six.
MacIntyre, who is on the verge of joining McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose in qualifying for Europe’s Ryder Cup team, finished with six successive birdies and carded 10 in total against two bogeys.
The highlight of the left-hander’s day came when he holed a 66-foot effort for birdie at the 13th to spark his spectacular finish.
“The last six holes is probably as good as I’ve ever putted in a stretch of holes – just so consistent,” said MacIntyre.
“When you get the eye on, it’s free flowing, and it’s nice.
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“I feel like the way I play golf is better suited for the tougher tests, where you’re rewarded for hitting a fairway, you’re rewarded for hitting a green, and then take your chances with the putter. Just happy with today’s work.”
MacIntyre leads by three from England’s Fleetwood, whose wait for a first PGA Tour title goes on after he was pipped by Rose at the St Jude Classic last week.
Robert MacIntyre leads the field. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Scottie Scheffler’s hot streak continued as he fired an opening 66 to lie third.
The world number one finished with three birdies in the final four holes to top the early leaderboard at the second FedEx Cup event.
Scheffler, who has registered 12 successive top-eight finishes in a scintillating year, said on Sky Sports: “It changed pretty significantly, a lot softer. The fairways were a little bit harder to hit this morning.
“They’re still pretty wide, but they were still with the firmness, challenging to hit. And then with the softness coming in with the rain, the golf course got significantly easier.”
Scheffler was playing with Masters champion McIlroy, who carded a level-par 70.
The Holywood man, who skipped last week’s FedEx Cup event knowing he is guaranteed to be in next week’s Tour Championship, had a slow start, with three bogeys in the opening six holes, but battled back.Robert MacIntyre carded a brilliant 62 to hold a three-shot lead after day one of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club.
Meanwhile, Conor Purcell is the best of the Irish at the Danish Golf Club Championship on the European Tour.
Purcell shot a first-round one-under 70, while Dermot McElroy is further back after opening with a 74. England’s Marco Penge leads the field after a seven-under 64.
And rising French talent Adela Cernousek conjured an eagle and six birdies in an eight-under-par 64 to break free atop a jammed leaderboard after the first round of the LPGA Portland Classic.
After teeing off on 10 and making two birdies in her first 10 holes, Cernousek roared up the leaderboard with birdies at four, five and six.
The 22-year-old carded an eagle at the par-five seventh and added a birdie at the ninth to cap a sensational 64.
While Leona Maguire is absent, Stephanie Meadow looks set for a battle with the projected cut line of one-under after shooting an even-par 72.
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MacIntyre holds three-shot lead as Lowry and McIlroy open with even-par rounds at BMW Championship
ROBERT MACINTYRE CARDED a brilliant 62 to hold a three-shot lead after day one of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club.
The Scot was among the later starters that got to take advantage of softer conditions after a two-hour rain delay, with darkness preventing Bud Cauley from completing his opening round.
Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy are eight shots behind, after both carding level-par 70s. Lowry made a hot start with three birdies in a row, before dropping a shot on the seventh. Bogeys outweighed birdies on the back nine, four to two. McIlroy, meanwhile, birdied on the third, ninth and 10th, and bogeyed on holes two, four and six.
MacIntyre, who is on the verge of joining McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose in qualifying for Europe’s Ryder Cup team, finished with six successive birdies and carded 10 in total against two bogeys.
The highlight of the left-hander’s day came when he holed a 66-foot effort for birdie at the 13th to spark his spectacular finish.
“The last six holes is probably as good as I’ve ever putted in a stretch of holes – just so consistent,” said MacIntyre.
“When you get the eye on, it’s free flowing, and it’s nice.
“I feel like the way I play golf is better suited for the tougher tests, where you’re rewarded for hitting a fairway, you’re rewarded for hitting a green, and then take your chances with the putter. Just happy with today’s work.”
MacIntyre leads by three from England’s Fleetwood, whose wait for a first PGA Tour title goes on after he was pipped by Rose at the St Jude Classic last week.
Scottie Scheffler’s hot streak continued as he fired an opening 66 to lie third.
The world number one finished with three birdies in the final four holes to top the early leaderboard at the second FedEx Cup event.
Scheffler, who has registered 12 successive top-eight finishes in a scintillating year, said on Sky Sports: “It changed pretty significantly, a lot softer. The fairways were a little bit harder to hit this morning.
“They’re still pretty wide, but they were still with the firmness, challenging to hit. And then with the softness coming in with the rain, the golf course got significantly easier.”
Scheffler was playing with Masters champion McIlroy, who carded a level-par 70.
The Holywood man, who skipped last week’s FedEx Cup event knowing he is guaranteed to be in next week’s Tour Championship, had a slow start, with three bogeys in the opening six holes, but battled back.Robert MacIntyre carded a brilliant 62 to hold a three-shot lead after day one of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club.
Meanwhile, Conor Purcell is the best of the Irish at the Danish Golf Club Championship on the European Tour.
Purcell shot a first-round one-under 70, while Dermot McElroy is further back after opening with a 74. England’s Marco Penge leads the field after a seven-under 64.
And rising French talent Adela Cernousek conjured an eagle and six birdies in an eight-under-par 64 to break free atop a jammed leaderboard after the first round of the LPGA Portland Classic.
After teeing off on 10 and making two birdies in her first 10 holes, Cernousek roared up the leaderboard with birdies at four, five and six.
The 22-year-old carded an eagle at the par-five seventh and added a birdie at the ninth to cap a sensational 64.
While Leona Maguire is absent, Stephanie Meadow looks set for a battle with the projected cut line of one-under after shooting an even-par 72.
- Additional reporting from – © AFP 2025
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