Macintyre Knows Score As Major Opportunity Looms

Some golfers awkward distant from leaderboards. They don't want to cognize what's going connected astir nan course. They dislike nan distraction.

Bob MacIntyre is not 1 of those.

After rolling successful for a closing par successful nan 2nd information of nan Open Championship connected Friday, he stood gawping astatine nan large committee supra nan grandstand, taking successful what it told him. Just arsenic he had passim his time connected nan links.

The Scot had spoken successful nan grumpy gloom of Thursday nighttime astir his dream that he mightiness "post a bully number" nan pursuing time aft his opening level-par round.

The iconic yellowish leaderboard astatine Royal Portrush confirmed to him that he had.

The 28-year-old's 66 was beaten only by playing partner Bryson DeChambeau and erstwhile champion Brian Harman, and has catapulted him correct into nan conversation.

It's nan 2nd consecutive awesome successful which MacIntyre has contended - aft his 2nd spot astatine June's US Open - and he believes he's successful a "good spot" to push for his first triumph complete nan play successful Northern Ireland.

"There's potential. It could beryllium anyone's time," said nan world number 14.

"I consciousness happy, confident, comfortable. I'm going to spell retired and springiness it my champion changeable each nan measurement done to Sunday afternoon. I'm not scared. I'm not going to backmost away.

"Hopefully travel nan 69th, 70th hole, I've sewage a chance. And if I've sewage a chance, I'm going to rotation nan dice."

MacIntyre bemoaned that putts did not driblet for him connected Thursday, but his activity connected nan greens didn't request to beryllium stellar connected Friday to prime up strokes.

Instead, amended accuracy disconnected nan tee allowed him to get person pinch his attack shots. His longest holed putt was awkward of 7 feet and he ne'er sewage sandy shoes.

Close-range birdies connected three, 5 and 7 roared him to 3 under, pinch 2 much astatine 12 and 13 abruptly lifting him precocious up those leaderboards.

A dropped changeable connected 16 - his only 1 of nan time - was recovered immediately, earlier par astatine nan past closed retired a splendid 66.

"For almost each 18 holes today, I felt for illustration I did what I did connected nan beforehand 9 yesterday," MacIntyre said. "I played aggressively but smart astatine nan aforesaid time.

"I consciousness for illustration this is wherever I want to beryllium and these are nan tournaments I want to compete really difficult in.

"However agelong my profession is going to be, this is what I want to do. Until I springiness it up, I'm going to springiness it my champion shot."