Robert MacIntyre up 4 on Scottie Scheffler at PGA Tour’s BMW

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Robert MacIntyre ducked his head below the branches and climbed into a multitude of bushes behind the fifth inexperienced with out a golf membership, first seeing if he might discover his ball after which deciding if it was value attempting to play it.

Through a gap he noticed Scottie Scheffler ready on him, a reminder of what he was up in opposition to Saturday within the BMW Championship.

He took on the shot and one way or the other made par with two robust putts from 70 ft. It was a giant second. But to MacIntyre, all of them had been large — the par saves, a number of birdie probabilities he missed and the 40-foot birdie that ended a satisfying day.

The final birdie gave MacIntyre a 2-under 68 and a four-shot lead over the No. 1 participant on the earth going into the ultimate spherical at Caves Valley.

“It was massive,” MacIntyre stated of his par save on No. 5. “Look, every save, every shot is a prisoner for me. That shot there is no more important than that one I’ve hit on 18, any of the shots I’ve hit today. I’ve played beautifully all week, so it’s just about continuing that going into tomorrow.”

And he is aware of what to anticipate Sunday, one other date within the last group with Scheffler, who had an environment friendly 67 to trim a shot off the five-shot deficit he confronted initially.

It was apparent who the large crowd wished, and MacIntyre heard one fan from a hospitality suite behind the 14th inexperienced and had sufficient.

He holed an 8-foot par putt proper after Scheffler made birdie, regarded again on the crowd as he flippantly pumped his fist and put his index finger to his lips to shush whoever received below his Scottish pores and skin.

“I totally expected to be in this situation today when I’m in this position. It’s going to be the exact same tomorrow,” MacIntyre stated. “I’ll give back as good as I get. Look, I thought I played great. There was obviously a couple of shouts. But there’s plenty of security.”

He was at 16-under 194 and has led by at the very least three pictures after every spherical this week, simply the second participant within the FedEx Cup playoffs (excluding the Tour Championship) to try this (Jason Day on the BMW in 2015).

Scheffler lastly ended a streak of 37 holes with out a bogey and felt his iron sport was barely off, however in any other case had no complaints.

“I started the day five behind. The tournament was only halfway over. So there’s a lot of golf,” Scheffler stated. “Bob has got a four-shot lead going into tomorrow and it’s up to me. He’s playing some great golf, and it’s up to me to go out there and chase him down.”

It was Scheffler’s sixteenth straight spherical below par on tour — the fifth-longest streak of rounds within the 60s since 1970.

Ludvig Åberg entered the combination. The Swedish star seems to be rising from a summer time slumber and shot 68 that left him alone in third. He was nonetheless six pictures behind MacIntyre.

No one else was nearer than eight pictures of the lead.

Scheffler might sense the group in his favor, however did not discover something uncontrolled. He has been by means of this earlier than, paired with MacIntyre within the Scottish Open and taking part in earlier than a pro-Rory McIlroy gallery at Royal Portrush when he gained the British Open.

“I can think of a few things that were said to me in the final round in Ireland that were very far over the line,” he stated. “If you’re a fan, it’s only going to fire the guy up more, and I think just do your best to behave out there. It can be a little bit silly sometimes.”

The BMW Championship decides the highest 30 within the FedEx who advance to the Tour Championship for a shot on the $10 million prize.

Akshay Bhatia helped his probabilities with an incredible day that included a hole-in-one on the seventeenth gap to win a automotive, however extra essential challenge him inside the highest 30. He additionally holed out with a wedge on the par-4 seventh for eagle, and turned in a card that had scores of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Harry Hall of England, at No. 45 within the FedEx Cup, had a second straight 67 and was tied for fourth with Sam Burns.

Players usually speak about staying current. Hall takes that to a different degree.

“I’ve only got one job to do, and that’s go recover and hydrate and get ready to hit that first show down the fairway tomorrow,” Hall stated. “My game plan won’t fluctuate regardless of the situation I’m in. I think I’ll try and do the right thing on every shot, and hopefully that will be enough.”

Rickie Fowler, who narrowly received into the highest 50 to achieve Caves Valley, had a 67 to place himself in place to maneuver into the highest 30. He was projected simply outdoors the highest 30, and people projections are prone to fluctuate wildly on the final day.

Fowler has an concept what he wants, however he stored it easy.

“Hopefully, just go wear out some fairways and then get the iron play back to where it’s been and make some putts,” he stated. “But it sounds a lot easier than it is.”

MacIntyre was clearly up for the check, although. He made 5 par putts from the 5- to 8-foot vary, had a few birdie putts inside 6 ft after which ended his day with an uppercut celebration of a 40-foot birdie putt.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used on this report.