The China Mail - Monster birdie gives heckled MacIntyre four-stroke BMW lead

The 29-year-old Scotsman, runner-up to J.J. Spaun at June's US Open, fired a two-under par 68 to stand on 16-under 194 after 54 holes at Caves Valley in suburban Baltimore.

"The day was tough," MacIntyre said. "It wasn't the plain sailing of the first two days, but I thought I managed it well.

"It was steady. Holed some nice par putts, missed a couple of chances I felt I could have got, but the pins were absolutely brutal."

As for his electrifying final putt, MacIntyre said, ""Holing that putt is a massive boost going into tomorrow. That one shot is everything out here."

US star Scheffler, whose four victories this season include major triumphs at the PGA Championship and British Open, fired a 67 to finish on 198 but clutch putting by MacIntyre kept him from closing the gap as they battled down the back nine.

"I did some good stuff out there. I would have liked to have been a little sharper with my irons," said Scheffler. "I did a good job of staying patient. Would have liked to make a few more birdies, but overall for how I was hitting it, not a terrible score.

"Bob has got a four-shot lead going into tomorrow. He's playing some great golf and it's up to me to go out there and chase him down."

Sweden's Ludvig Aberg was third on 200 after shooting 68 with England's Harry Hall and American Sam Burns on 202 and England's Tommy Fleetwood and American Maverick McNealy on 203.

MacIntyre's two PGA wins came last year at the Canadian and Scottish Opens, the Canada victory coming after his only prior PGA 54-hole lead.

The Scotsman shushed a heckler after making a clutch par putt at the 14th hole.

"He was just jeering. He was just shouting I missed it -- he's pushed it. Pushed it right in the middle of the hole, I guess," MacIntyre said.

"I'll give as good back as I get. There was obviously a couple of shouts. But there's plenty of security there that are hearing it and seeing it, and I did see them talk to a few people. I don't know if anyone was thrown out, but there was plenty of people to talk to."

MacIntyre warned he's not one to be heckled, adding, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog and I grew up fighting to be in this position."

MacIntyre, who led Scheffler by five when the day began, opened with a bogey after finding a greenside bunker but birdied the par-five fourth from inside three feet then sank a seven-foot birdie putt at the ninth to lead by four at 15-under.

Scheffler had tap-in birdies at the fourth and seventh holes, birdied the 11th from 14 feet but missed a par putt at 12 from just beyond 10 feet to fall four back, MacIntyre parring from just inside seven feet at 12.

Scheffler rolled in an 18-foot birdie putt at the 14th but despite the heckler MacIntyre sank a clutch par putt from just outside seven feet at 14 -- his fourth par putt of the day made from beyond six feet.

- Ace for Bhatia -

The BMW is the second PGA playoff FedEx Cup event, with the top 30 in season points advancing to next week's Tour Championship in Atlanta.

American Akshay Bhatia, battling for one of the last spots in Atlanta, aced the 227-yard par-three 17th hole with a five-iron. He shot 66 to stand on 210 thanks in part to his first PGA hole-in-one and his sixth overall.

"When that golf ball goes 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.

X.So--ThChM