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 opening 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.

He 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.

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

He found the final fairway with a 284-yard gem before also finding the green in two, leaving himself a 45-footer but with thoughts now on simply saving par that MacIntyre did in holing his fourth shot from some 10-feet for a round of a seven-under 67 and a similar three-round tally.

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

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