18/08/2025

SPORTS MONDAY | AUG 18, 2025 28 ‘It wasn’t plain sailing’ Monster birdie gives heckled MacIntyre four-stroke BMW lead over Scheffler R OBERT MACINTYRE closed with a 41-foot birdie putt to grab a four-stroke lead over

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 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. going into tomorrow. He’s playing

“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. 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.” – AFP “I had my fair share of mistakes on that back nine. But yeah, looking forward to tomorrow.” Johnson discussed trailing his playing partner by seven shots on the front nine. “Obviously, he got off to a great start, I got off to a slow start, and I was seven back,” said Johnson. “But you’ve just got to keep trying to make birdies. Get it in the fairway and just get looks. That’s what I did. “I did that from about 6 on in. I played really well.” Poland’s Adrian Meronk, Spain’s David Puig, Thomas Pieters of Belgium, Patrick Reed, Chile’s Joaquin Niemann and Sweden’s back nine. Kim went 4-under over the last five holes to charge into the second with birdies at 14 and 15 and her eagle at 17 the shot of the round. She looked away after the ball landed in the rough, not seeing it bounce onto the green, roll down a slope and into the hole for an eagle. “I leaked my driver a little right,” Kim said. “I thought I was going to be in the rough, which it was, and I was trying to see if I could get a drop. “I wasn’t entirely over the sprinkler head boxes so I knew I just had to hit it.” Sweden’s Linn Grant took third on 202 with a 65, one stroke ahead of American Gurleen Kaur with India’s Aditi Ashok and American Gina Kim on 204. South Korea’s Lee5 Jeong-eun led after 36 holes but made a triple bogey at the par-four sixth hole to fall eight off the pace. – AFP “Got to, I think it was 6-under through 9, and then just a couple mistakes. “Misjudgment of speed on 10 and then a really bad lie on 15 and unfortunately a bad swing on 18. Henrik Stenson are all are tied for third place at 12-under. – Field Level Media

top-ranked Scottie Scheffler after yesterday’s third round of the US PGA Tour BMW Championship. The 29-year-old Scotsman, up to JJ 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 runner

Robert MacIntyre plays his shot from the eighth tee during the BMW Championship. – AFPPIC

Johnson, Munoz share top Indianapolis leaderboard

Jimenez continues strong start in Calgary SPAIN’S Miguel Angel Jimenez matched his first round by shooting a 7-under-par 63 yesterday, keeping him in the lead at the Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary. After getting to 14-under for the tournament, Jimenez took a one-stroke lead over Australia’s Richard Green, who fired an 8-under 62 yesterday. Jimenez, who entered the event ranked No. 1 in the Charles Schwab Cup race, twice got on hot streaks, pocketing birdies on holes 3-5 and holes 11-13. He had additional birdies on the 15th and 18th, while his eagle on No. 8 dazzled. From the center of the fairway on the par-4, 440-yard hole, the 61-year-old arced his second shot within two feet of the hole, with the ball spinning back into the hole. Jimenez pretended to holster his club in celebration, then shimmied backward and waved to the crowd. “I’m very happy to be in this position,” Jimenez told The Canadian Press . “I’m at 14 under par, one shot ahead, but you cannot sleep. Other people are playing very well. You can see the scores.” Jimenez overcame two bogeys to take the solo lead, putting him a round away from winning his fifth tournament this season. Green, 54, has four top 10 finishes this season, but is still looking for his first Champions Tour victory. He helped his cause by hitting a hot streak of four straight birdies on the front half (Holes 6 9), added an eagle on 11, then finished his day with birdies on 15 and 18. It was the best round of the tournament. “Miguel’s obviously having an amazing year this year,” Green said to The Canadian Press . “He’s going to be tough to beat, so I’m going to have to play my absolute best golf. I’d have to say that today was pretty close to some of my best golf. If I can continue to do that, I’ll be very happy.” – Field Level Media

DUSTIN JOHNSON shot a 7-under-par round of 64 and tied Columbia’s Sebastian Munoz at the top of the leaderboard at the LIV Golf Indianapolis in Westfield, Ind. Both players are at 16-under 126 through two rounds at the par-71 Club at Chatham Hills Course. Johnson posted a bogey-free round and has not bogeyed a hole since shooting a four on the par-3 second hole on Saturday. He birdied six holes in an eight-hole stretch in the middle part of the round, posting a score of 32 on both the front and back nines. Munoz, who shot a 12-under 59 on Saturday, looked like he would run away with the tournament after birdieing six of the first seven holes to reach 18 under. He was erratic on the back nine, playing even-par golf until hitting a poor tee shot on 18 and ending up with a double bogey to fall back into a tie with Johnson. “I had a really great start,” said Munoz. “I kind of kept myself flowing from the momentum from yesterday.

Sebastian Munoz. – REUTERSPIC Japan’s Iwai grabs Portland lead

JAPANESE rookie Akie Iwai fired a 8-under par 64 to seize a two stroke lead after yesterday’s third round of the LPGA Portland Classic. The 23-year-old from

year at Thailand and the LA Championship, has won six times on the Japan Tour. “After I made the eagle at five, I had many birdie chances, so good tempo,” Iwai said.

“My style is aggressive. “No change this week. Aim to the pin. Every shot. Every hole.” That was apparent at the 18th hole, where

Saitama, seeking her first LPGA victory, made seven birdies and an eagle against a lone bogey to stand on 18-under 198 after 54 holes at Edgewater Country Club. Australia’s Grace Kim, who captured her first major title at the Evian Championship, made a stunning eagle at the 17th, holing out from 156 yards from the fairway rough to shoot 67 and grab second on 200. World No. 29 Iwai, an LPGA runner-up this

she dropped her approaches inches from the hole and tapped in for her fourth birdie on the

Akie Iwai. – AFPPIC