Sorry Phil Mickelson, the world’s highest-ranked lefty and one of the European Tour’s rising stars was at it again at the British Masters.
World No. 45 Robert MacIntyre. the current pride of Scotland, shot a 66 Friday at the Belfry and has a share of the 36-hole lead.
MacIntyre, who finished 12th at The Masters last month, is in at the halfway point at a modest seven-under par as The Belfry has held its own, offering up some light rain on day two. Mac was tied with countryman Calum Hill and Englishman Richard Bland.
“I was in free flow,” said MacIntyre, who finished birdie-birdie to grab a share of the lead. He got off to the day’s hottest start with birdies on his first five holes. “I hit a couple close but the putter was working. For me it felt beautiful. That could have been a crazy score. I still missed quite a few chances but that’s golf. If I can shoot 66-66 at the weekend playing like that you would take that.”
MacIntyre has put in a lot of work on his short game, his putting in particular. “It’s just good to see the work that we’re putting in on the putting continuing to perform. I started working with Graeme (Leslie) in the middle of last year and I was getting into bad habits, he just keeps drilling it into me: ‘just trust what you’re doing’. Everything that we’ve done is pretty simple, he just gives me basic things to work on and I trust it.”
While MacIntyre’s career is just getting started, the48-year-old Bland was thrilled to have a piece of the halfway lead.
“The chances (of winning) are probably going to come fewer and farther between – that’s not being negative, that’s being pretty realistic,” Bland said after adding a 69 to his opening 68. “I’m going to try and go out there and not think about it too much. The old cliché, just one shot at a time as best I can. I can’t win the tournament tomorrow (Friday), just go out there and try to play as good as I have the last two days and putt a little better.
“To go 36 holes without a bogey is extra special,” Bland pointed out, acknowledging the difficulty of The Belfry. “It doesn’t happen very often, especially round here where there are four or five holes that can really catch you out. You really have to stand up and hit a proper golf shot, even just to make par, so I’m really happy with the way I’ve played. I think I’ve only missed four fairways in two rounds and they were not by a lot, so my greens in regulation stats are pretty high as well.”
Tournament host and former Masters champion Danny Willett was in at three-under par (69-72) and tied for 16th.
The 36-hole cut came at one-over par and former PGA and U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer was among the cut casualties.
Annika Signs Up For U.S. Senior Women’s Open:
Annika Sorenstam will be out of retirement once again later this summer to play in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open.
The Hall Of Famer will be in the field at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Conn. for the tournament scheduled for July 29-August 1.
This will be her first USGA event since the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open, when she holed out for eagle on her final hole.
“When I finished that round at Interlachen, I’m not sure I would have expected to compete for another USGA title in the future, but to have this opportunity now, at this stage of life, is incredible,” Sorenstam said. USGA championships set themselves apart with world-class venues and world-class fields, and I know the same type of challenge I used to relish at a U.S. Women’s Open awaits at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. I am looking forward to the opportunity to compete, and to do it with my family by my side.”
