Top Scot Robert MacIntyre has put himself brilliantly in contention to become a third straight lefty to capture the Valero Texas Open at San Antonio.
MacIntyre added a super second round 64 to his opening 66, moving an impressive four shots clear of his rivals at 14-under and heading to the clubhouse in very Scotland-like conditions with the wind getting stronger and also as light rain began to fall.
MacIntyre’s fellow double Ryder Cup winning team-mate Ludwig Aberg, who partnered MacIntyre for the opening two rounds, is currently in second place at 10-under after his pair of 67s.
PRIMED TO BECOME A THIRD LEFTY IN SUCCESSION TO CAPTURE @valerotxopen
As top @robert1lefty @ArnoldClark @oriongroup @TaymouthC adds a 6⃣4⃣ to an opening 6⃣6⃣ & head @TPCSanAntonio c’house leading by an impressive four shots at 14-under
Read:… pic.twitter.com/RzriQ6lfwg
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) April 3, 2026
“I’ve been working hard on my approach play over the last few weeks and just searching for something that I didn’t need to search for, and I’ve just gone back to doing what we used to do,“ said MacIntyre.
“So, yeah, I just feel comfortable around here. I like to move the golf ball left to right, right to left, high, low and so on.
“Also, when it gets gusty and windy you’ve got to control the flight of the golf ball to control the number so yeah so far so good as there a part of you that almost smiles when you see the forecast and knows that it’s going to gust and get difficult and that you almost thrive and enjoy these conditions more it’s a massive attitude.
“It becomes a good test but then everyone out here is a great player. so it’s all down to attitude now I feel like growing up and it helps having the right attitude going out there and go you know what this isn’t going to be perfect.“
A 90-minute delay on day one meant 24 players still had to complete their first round when play got underway early on Friday morning.
MacIntyre had been lying in a five-way tie for second at six-under but once the first round officially ended he found himself still tied in second but officially tied with six others .
GO THE LEFTIES …
The manner @robert1lefty @ArnoldClark @oriongroup @TaymouthC is playing we could be looking at a third lefty in succession being handed @valerotxopen @TOURMISS (Lefty Bernie McGuire ) https://t.co/J86vWBk6KT
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) April 3, 2026
MacIntrye who was out in the eighth group of the second day from the 10th tee of the TPC San Antonio course.
And the present World No. 11 superbly picked-up from the manner he completed his opening day by birdieing the 10th hole of the first of his second round, and this after birdieing his closing two holes on day one.
MacIntyre, and contesing the $US 9.8m event for a second occasion in his career, then brilliantly caped his round at the par-5 14th, and the fifth hole of his round, landing a 270-yard second shot at the par-5 to just eight foot and calmly knocking the eagle ‘3’ putt.
The proud Scot than holed a six-footer for birdie at the 15th and made it four-under in three holes, draining a seven-footer for birdie at the par-3 16th to move into the lead.
MacIntyre dropped the only shot of his two rounds, taking four shots from just under 100-yards away at the short par-4 17th that he was playing as his eighth hole.
The triple Tour winning MacIntyre pared his next five holes staying at 10-under but then reaching 12-under thanks to back-to-back birdies at the par-4 fifth and sixth holes or his 14th and 15th holes.
MacIntyre pared the par-3 seventh hole or the 16th ahead of finding the left rough at the par-5 eighth hole with a booming 328-yard drive, ahead of superbly finding the putting surface some 11-foot from the cup and showing no concern in holing the putt, moving to 13-under-par and back to two clear of his rivals.
And you can make that four clear as MacIntyre continued his all-round superb play landing his second shot into the par-4 ninth hole to just two-and-a-half feet for the seventh birdie of his round but also some thanks to Aberg, who bogeyed his 18th, it was effectively a two-shot advantage to the Scot.
And MacIntyre’s revealed his game plan going into the closing two rounds?
“Keep attacking. Simple as that,“ he said.
And when asked if a barbecue may be on the menu this week, and given his likeness for barbecue’s, MacIntyre responded smiling: “I’ve not had any so far. We’ve had some Mexican because it’s a good area for Mexican food.
“So we got told to go to certain places and it’s been really good. I like my food, as you can tell. We’ll go from here now, go and change shoes and stuff, and we’ll go for a sahi bowl this afternoon. Me and my caddy love them. There’s a little sweetness in there, as well with Nutella.
“So life’s good outside the golf.“
MacIntyre is contesting his 83rd PGA Tour sanctioned tournament and having now comfortably made it 67 weekend appearances in those 83 tournaments.
The Scot has won twice on the PGA – 2024 RBC Canadian Open and the 2024 Genesis Scottish Open – and if he should capture the Valero Texas Open he would join fellow Scot Martin Laird, who denied Rory McIlroy by two shots to win the 2013 edition of the touranment.
And if MacIntyre should succeed in the Alamo City he would join fellow lefties Akshay Bhatai (2024) and Brian Harmon (2025) as a Valero Texan Open champion.
As for being a golf course that suits lefties, MacIntyre responded: “I don’t know. Obviously people left handed have done well in the past, but I’m not worried about that one bit.
“I just warn-up in the morning and get going after it.“
Fairway Statistics – MacIntyre hit nine of 14 second round fairways with his new Titleist TSR driver to be 20 for 28 fairways over the two TPC San Antonio rounds.
