Bob MacIntyre endured a heartbreaking collapse at the BMW Championship in Maryland, blowing a four-shot overnight lead as world No.1 Scottie Scheffler produced another sparkling performance to secure his 18th PGA Tour victory.
MacIntyre, chasing the win that would have sealed his place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team, made a nightmare start with back-to-back bogeys on the opening two holes. Although he briefly regained control with a two-shot advantage after three holes, his struggles around the greens and Scheffler’s relentless charge soon swung momentum in the American’s favor.
Scheffler drew level at the 5th after MacIntyre found trouble in a bunker, and by the 13th hole the world’s best player had established a two-stroke cushion. A rare lapse on the 14th, where Scheffler carded a bogey, offered MacIntyre a glimmer of hope. Yet the Scot’s failure to capitalize on the 15th, missing a birdie putt while his rival converted his chance, proved a decisive turning point.
The drama intensified on the 16th when MacIntyre produced a superb 265-yard approach to the green, setting up a birdie to trim the deficit to one. The tension was palpable heading into the closing stretch, but Scheffler responded in breathtaking fashion. His remarkable chip-in from the rough on the penultimate hole effectively sealed the contest, leaving MacIntyre unable to conjure the final-hole magic that had seen him drain a 41-foot putt the day before.
MacIntyre closed with a three-over-par 73, finishing two shots adrift of Scheffler’s 15-under total of 265. What had looked like a career-defining victory slipped painfully from his grasp, a result that leaves him still battling to confirm his Ryder Cup place.
For Scheffler, the win underlined his dominance in world golf. It was his fifth title of the year, matching last season’s haul, a feat achieved in consecutive years by only Tiger Woods. The American’s ability to rise to the occasion when it mattered most once again separated him from the field.
Elsewhere, Maverick McNealy secured third place, while Tommy Fleetwood surged into a share of fourth with a strong closing 67. England’s Harry Hall faltered with a final-round 70 to slip into sixth, and Rory McIlroy never recovered from consecutive double bogeys on the front nine, finishing tied for 12th.
