Robert MacIntyre delivered a thrilling performance Saturday at the RBC Canadian Open, sinking a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 17th hole to secure a four-stroke lead going into the final round.
Tied for the second-round lead with Ryan Fox, MacIntyre shot a 4-under 66, bringing him to 14-under 196 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. The 27-year-old Scotsman, still seeking his first PGA Tour victory in 44 starts, attributes his steady play to his attitude. ‘I think it’s my attitude now,’ said MacIntyre. ‘I’ve spoken about it all week. I’ve been in a good mindset from the get-go and had zero expectation at the start of the week.’
Mackenzie Hughes, who is aiming to become the second consecutive Canadian to win the national championship, is tied for second with Fox and Ben Griffin. ‘Obviously, a lot of it will depend on what Robert does,’ Hughes commented. ‘If he plays a great round of golf tomorrow, he’ll be almost impossible to catch. That’s why we play four days. You never know, weird things have happened before.’ Hughes, who hails from nearby Dundas, shot a 67 but missed a 9-foot eagle putt on the 17th hole and bogeyed the 18th. ‘Starting the day, I knew Saturday’s harder than Friday, and Sunday will be harder than Saturday,’ he said. ‘So really going into it knowing that I kind of prepared myself to be in the right mindset. For me it was not trying too hard, not forcing things. For the most part, I would say I did a pretty good job.’
Ryan Fox began the day strong, playing the first five holes in 4 under with an eagle and two birdies, but faltered with four bogeys over the final 13 holes, including three in a four-hole span on the back nine. He ended the day with a 70. Ben Griffin also had his struggles, bogeying the 18th in a round of 65.
Tommy Fleetwood, who shot a 64, is one of the group at 9 under, along with Sam Burns (67), Trace Crowe (67), and Joel Dahmen (69). ‘You have to just take what the golf course gives you,’ Fleetwood remarked.
Rory McIlroy, two-time Canadian Open champion, is tied for 11th at 7 under following a 65. McIlroy, who won the tournament in 2019 at Hamilton and again in 2022 at St. George’s in Toronto, appreciates the local fan support. ‘I feel like an honorary Canadian at this point,’ McIlroy said. ‘The support I get here is amazing. I keep saying it, but just a pleasure to play in an atmosphere like that.’ Meanwhile, last year’s champion Nick Taylor missed the cut after rounds of 72 and 71.
MacIntyre’s late charge started after a bogey on the par-3 13th. He birdied the 14th from 13 feet, drained a 50-footer on the 15th, made a 10-footer on the 16th, and capped it with the dramatic eagle on the 17th. ‘I just stuck in there,’ MacIntyre reflected. ‘I didn’t have it great at the start, but I feel like whenever I dropped a shot, I bounced back with maybe two good shots into the green, and I would pick up a shot back. It never got away from me. A bit of luck, a bit of myself staying in the moment, staying calm. I got my reward with the putter in the end.’
His father, Dougie MacIntyre, is on the bag as his caddie this week. ‘He’s been through thick and thin with me,’ MacIntyre said. ‘He taught me how to play the game of golf.’
With a four-stroke lead and momentum on his side, Robert MacIntyre is well-positioned to secure his first PGA Tour victory at the RBC Canadian Open. As the final round approaches, all eyes will be on MacIntyre to see if he can maintain his composure and clinch the title.
Source: Espn
