Top-ranked Scot Robert MacIntyre stormed home brilliantly on the back of nine birdies to seize the clubhouse lead on day three of the Players Championship.

MacIntyre put himself in contention for hopeful victory at Tour HQ in a round of a 65 for a three-day seven-under tally and just as the leading groups cre teeing-up in glorious conditons on the TPC Sacgrass course.

The Oban lefty began golf’s ‘moving day’ at level par post a pair of opening 72s that boasted just four birdies but also just as many bogeys.

MacIntyre quickly made a mockery of those stats birdieing three of his six holes, and while dropping a shot at seven, the present World No. 8 soon had his foot firmly back on the golfing accelerator with birdies at nine, 11 and 12.  He made a mess of 13 taking bogey before attracting everyone’s attention over his closing four holes.

The Oban lefty holed a sensational 36-footer at the par-3 15th for birdie, two-putted the par-5 16th for birdie and then at the infamous ‘island green’ par-3, 17th MacIntyre landed his 130-yard tee shot behind the green for his ball to roll back and stop just four-feet from the hole for a third straight birdie an move to seven-under.

MacIntyre was now sharing fifth place at eighg-under just as the leading groups were being introduced on the tee.

He found the final fairway with a 284-yard gem before finding the green in two, leaving himself a 45-footer but with thoughts now on simply saving par that MacIntyre did in holing a 10-footer.

A check of MacIntyre’s third round stats and he hit 11 of 14 fairyways and 12 of 18 greens

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