MacIntyre assumes leadership, establishes 4-stroke advantage at Texas Open
SAN ANTONIO — Robert MacIntyre has included the Valero Texas Open in his preparations for the Masters this year, and he demonstrated his readiness on Friday with four birdies in his last five holes, finishing with an 8-under 64 and establishing a four-shot advantage over Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Åberg.
MacIntyre felt at ease with his swing from the outset, capitalizing on a back nine that featured a hybrid shot that rolled to 8 feet for eagle on the par-5 14th.
The key to his success was his strong finish, with all four of the Scot’s birdies coming from 10 feet or closer.
He played in the same group as Åberg, whose 67 included an eagle on the par-4 sixth after holing out with a wedge from 120 yards. The only setback for the Swede was missing the fairway on his final hole at No. 9 and three-putting from 100 feet.
MacIntyre’s total stands at 14-under 130.
“I didn’t compete last year; I went straight to Augusta. This was an adjustment for that reason,” MacIntyre stated. “I aimed to be sharp — or sharper — heading into Augusta.”
The Texas Open represents the final opportunity for many players to qualify for the Masters with a victory, although MacIntyre is beginning to make those chances appear increasingly slim.
Tony Finau, who has not missed the Masters since 2017, was one shot off the lead entering the second round but encountered three bogeys in six holes at the start. He managed to recover for a 69, which included a 35-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th, leaving him five shots behind, alongside Kevin Roy, Bud Cauley, and Thorbjorn Olesen.
“It was nice to make an eagle on the last,” Finau remarked. “I hit a really good drive, pushed my second shot a bit, got fortunate, cleared the water, and was able to roll that one in. Sometimes those are the small breaks you need to be at the top of the leaderboard.”
Mark Hubbard, who led after the first round with a 65, followed up with a 77, barely making the cut at 2-under 142. He went from one shot ahead to 12 shots behind.
Åberg mentioned that he has moved past his difficult back nine that affected him at The Players Championship two weeks ago. He has another opportunity over the final 36 holes at TPC San Antonio, which is what matters most to him.
“I feel great. I believe I’ve been playing good golf,” Åberg stated. “For me, golf is about placing yourself in positions where you can win tournaments. I feel like I haven’t done that well over the past 12 months, but I’m starting to see it now, which has been really nice. So I’m looking forward to one more chance at it this week.”
MacIntyre is aiming to become the third consecutive left-handed player to win the Texas Open, following Brian Harman last year and Akshay Bhatia in 2024.
