Texas Open Second Round Leaderboard
-14 R MacIntyre (Sco); -10 L Aberg (Swe); -9 K Roy (US), B Cauley (US), T Finau (US), T Olesen (Den); -8 A Smalley (US), A Putnam (US), S Fisk (US), J Parry (Eng), S Ryder (US), R Hisatsune (US).
Selected others: -7 T Fleetwood (Eng); -4 M Wallace (Eng), M Penge (Eng); -2 J Spieth (US).
MacIntyre Holds Four-Shot Lead at Texas Open
Scotland's Robert MacIntyre continued his impressive performance with a second-round 64, establishing a four-shot lead at the Texas Open in San Antonio. The 29-year-old, currently ranked world number 11, recorded four birdies in his final five holes. His closest competitor is his playing partner and Ryder Cup teammate Ludwig Aberg of Sweden.
Beginning his round on the back nine, MacIntyre made a significant statement by sinking an eight-foot eagle putt on the par-five 14th hole, followed by birdies on the next two holes. His only setback was a bogey on the 17th hole, but he recovered well to finish strongly, gaining confidence ahead of the Masters Tournament starting in Augusta on Thursday.
"I've been driving the ball nice," said MacIntyre. "I've got a new driver in the bag. Iron play today was exceptional I would say.
"I hit a pure wedge shot on 17, I thought it was absolutely dynamite there. Approach play, hitting the number, hitting the targets. Got to finish off with good putting. Overall, just really solid.
"I didn't play here last year, just went straight into Augusta. This was an adjustment for that reason. I wanted to be sharp - or sharper - going into Augusta."
Aberg Chasing Victory
Ludwig Aberg had four birdies over his first 14 holes and an eagle at the sixth but ended his round with a bogey. He expressed optimism about his current form and his chances this week.
"For me, golf is about putting yourself in situations where you can win tournaments," Aberg said.
"I feel like I haven't really done that very well the last 12 months or so, but starting to see it now, which has been really nice. Starting to get back into that level, which is really nice for me to see. So I'm looking forward to one more shot at it this week."
Finau Among Those Close Behind
Among those just one shot behind Aberg is six-time PGA Tour winner Tony Finau, who is seeking his first victory since April 2023. A win this week would secure him an invitation to the Masters. The 36-year-old American finished his round with an eagle putt on the 18th hole.
"It was nice to make an eagle on the last," Finau said. "I hit a really good drive, pushed my second shot a little, got lucky, covered the water and was able to roll that one in. Sometimes those are the small little breaks that you need to be towards the top of the leaderboard."
