MacIntyre makes move at Belfry
rOBErT MacINTYrE justified his position as pre-tournament favourite by claiming a share of the halfway lead in the Betfred British Masters with fellow Scot Calum Hill and Englishman richard Bland.
MacIntyre made an incredible start to his round at the Belfry with five straight birdies, before losing momentum with a drive into the water at the difficult par-four sixth.
But the Oban man finished as he started, with three birdies in his final five holes for a wonderful 66. That took the 24-year-old left-hander to seven under par alongside Hill and Bland, with 2018 winner Eddie Pepperell, Julien Guerrier and Justin Harding all on six under.
‘I was in free flow,’ said MacIntyre. ‘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.’
Asked if he felt the pressure of being the top-ranked player in the field, the world No 45 added: ‘Not at all. After this I will hit a few balls, might grab room service and then I bring my PlayStation everywhere I go, so I will be on that for a couple of hours with my pals.
‘Taking that with me is a huge stress reliever. I feel sorry for the people next to me (in the hotel) because it’s half 11 at night, no matter the tee time, and I’m roaring with my pals on the headset.’
Hill, a shot off the pace after round one, followed a two-putt birdie at the par-five third by chipping in from off the next green to move to seven under alongside Bland, who had set the early clubhouse target with a bogeyfree 69.
The Scot responded to a wayward drive and bogey at the eighth by making back-to-back birdies from the tenth to move into the outright lead, only to make a three-putt bogey on his final hole for a 70.