OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Robert MacIntyre seized on a softer course at Caves Valley Golf Club after a two-hour storm delay Thursday afternoon, riding the best putting round of his year with six straight birdies to post an 8-under-par 62 for a three-shot lead over England’s Tommy Fleetwood in the BMW Championship.
MacIntyre finished it off with a five-foot putt on 18th hole, and that was the easiest of his final six birdies. The 29-year-old from Scotland holed a 65-foot birdie putt on the 12th, followed that from 40 feet, and kept right on going until he matched his low round on the PGA Tour — and left everyone chasing after the opening round of the second of two three tournaments in the FedEx Cup postseason.
“The last six holes is probably as good as I’ve ever putted in a stretch of holes,” said MacIntyre, seeking a third PGA Tour victory to go with his pair of wins last year at the Canadian Open and the Scottish Open.
Scottie Scheffler, who’s No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking and No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings, was tied for the lead when he returned from the delay and birdied three of his final four holes for a 66 that left him alone in third. Fellow American player Rickie Fowler was another shot behind, a big step toward making next week’s field of 30 for the Tour Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club, where the FedEx Cup will be on the line.
Ben Griffin and Norway’s Viktor Hovland were also at 67.