Robert MacIntyre closed with a 41-foot birdie putt to grab a four-shot lead over world No 1 Scottie Scheffler after Saturday’s third round of the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship.
The 29-year-old Scotsman, runner-up to JJ Spaun at June’s US Open, carded a two-under 68 to reach 16-under 194 after 54 holes at Caves Valley in suburban Baltimore.
Scheffler, who has won four times this season including Major titles at the PGA Championship and The Open, fired a 67 to finish on 12-under 198. But MacIntyre’s clutch putting on the back nine kept him clear.
Exclamation on 18!
A 41-foot birdie on the last gives @robert1lefty a four-shot lead heading into Sunday. pic.twitter.com/v38U5frTcb
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 16, 2025
Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg is third on 10-under 200 after a 68, followed by England’s Harry Hall and American Sam Burns at eight-under 202, and England’s Tommy Fleetwood and American Maverick McNealy at seven-under 203.
MacIntyre, whose two PGA Tour victories came last year at the Canadian and Scottish Opens, began Saturday five ahead of Scheffler. He stumbled with a bogey at the 1st after finding the right rough and a greenside bunker, but hit his 3rd shot at the par-five 4th to inside three feet for birdie and added another at the 9th from seven feet to move to 15 under.
Scheffler responded with tap-in birdies at the 4th and 7th and drained a 14-footer at the 11th. But he missed a par putt from just outside 10 feet at the 12th while MacIntyre holed from seven feet to stay four ahead.
Scheffler rolled in an 18-footer at the 14th, only for MacIntyre to match him with a clutch par putt from just outside seven feet – his fourth par save of the day from beyond six feet – before shushing a heckler as he walked off the green.
At the par-five 16th, Scheffler found a greenside bunker with his second while MacIntyre was in sand with his third, but both made par to set up the Scot’s dramatic closing birdie putt at the 18th.
World No 2 Rory McIlroy struggled to a 71 after starting with a double-bogey, leaving him on three-under 207.
American Akshay Bhatia, chasing one of the last Tour Championship spots, aced the 227-yard par-three 17th with a 5-iron. He signed for a 66 to reach even-par 210, thanks in part to his first PGA Tour hole-in-one and sixth overall.
“When that golf ball went in, it was the craziest thing in the world,” Bhatia said. “I couldn’t even feel my body.”
Bhatia said he will give the BMW he won for the ace to his caddie.
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Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Article Link: Monster birdie gives MacIntyre four-stroke BMW lead