The world’s top-ranked lefty Robert MacIntyre brilliantly one-putted his closing eight holes while those higher up the rankings struggled with the short stick on day one of the Workday WGC at The Concessional in Florida.
MacIntrye had found himself quickly struggling to be three-over after just holes but the young Scot superbly regrouped to finish with a two-over par 74 on the ultra frustrating putting surfaces at Bradenton to the south of Tampa.
The Oban lefty teed-up in the States for a first time since last September’s US Open but was caught out early finding the left rough off the opening tee and then taking three shots to get up-and-down from right of the green for a bogey ‘5’.
MacIntyre sent a booming 345-yard drive down the left of the par-5 third but missed the green again right and taking four shots from just 50-feet to hole out for a bogey ‘6’.
Young Scot Robert MacIntyre brilliantly one-putts his closing eight holes in a round of 74 on day one of the Workday WGC at The Concession
MacIntyre was then taking three shots from the front edge of the green at the par- 3 fourth hole for a bogey.
After the early shock the World No. 43 ranked MacIntyre settled down to post seven straight pars and was rewarded at the par-5 13th hole and chipping from the right-side of the green and holing his three-footer for a first birdie.
The Glencruitten star then found the water at the par-4 15th and while having to take a penalty drop, he brilliantly put his fourth to just 18-inches for a bogey for his fifth one-putt in succession and he made it seven-in-a-row with a birdie from two-feet on 17 and sinking a five-footer at the last for his score of 74.
MacIntyre recorded just 27 putts and that four less than Rory McIlroy.
If left the lone Scot in the field just outside the top-50 in the 72-player field, and with new American ‘wonder golfer’ Matthew Wolff tailing out the no-cut field in posting a horror 11-over par 83.
