Scot Robert MacIntyre is now seeking a ‘hot’ putter after anxiously managing to sneak his way into the last 19 of Sunday Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown.
MacIntrye, 24 had been among 32 players to qualify for Saturday’s round and while posting a four-under par 67 it was not to around an hour later before confirmation he was into today’s (SUN) one-round shootout.
American Johannes Veerman eagled the last in a score of a seven-under par 64 but it’s back to level par for all teeing-up in the second straight week of the inaugural two Cyprus events.
The ‘Shootout’ called for the top-16 and ties to go through to the final but with England’s Richard Bland allowing three very grateful other players into the last day when his birdie putt at the last, stopped right on the lip of the hole in a round of 68.
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre now looking for a hot putter heading into the final day of the Cyprus Showdown
MacIntrye capped his round early on in holing his second shot for an eagle ‘2’ at the par-4 second hole.
“I had 124 yards in at the second, 129 to the back edge. I hit 52 degree and it was never going long of the pin, it pitched pin high and one hop forward and spun back into the hole”, he said.
He said: “My head was going when I bogeyed 15 and 16. The bogey on the par-3 at 15 was a shocker and just the wrong club off the tee in hitting a half 7-iron instead of a controlled 6-iron.
“Then it was a poor wedge shot into 16 but you need to commit to the shots and that’s all you can do.
“So, after those two bogeys I said to myself I need to pick-up another birdie and I managed to do that on 17.”
However, there was a little frustration on show and with the Scot gesturing to snap his putter over his left knee in missing a birdie putt at the last but it didn’t matter with now 19 to restart afresh for today’s (Sunday) decider.
MacIntyre had last week dragged himself from dropping outside the world’s top-100 in finishing third to move off No. 100 and back to World No. 91.
Now with a complete Cyprus restart, MacIntyre is quietly-confident of finally securing a first Tour victory and in what is his 44th Tour start.
He said: “My putter has not been too hot this week, so hopefully tomorrow will be the day it warms up.”
A first success would also see the young Scot rise to just outside the top-60 on the rankings and closer to qualifying at the end of next month for April’s Masters.
