Two-time PGA Tour winner Bob MacIntyre has been a class above the field so far at the BMW Championship, sitting five shots clear of Scottie Scheffler at the top of the leaderboard
The down-to-earth Bob MacIntyre gave an insight into his life off the course after another stellar round at the BMW Championship(Image: James Gilbert/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
European Ryder Cup star Bob MacIntyre romped into a five-shot lead at the BMW Championship on Friday, but the Scotsman is not one for getting carried away.
The 29-year-old followed up a career-low round of 62 on Thursday with a bogey-free 64 at Caves Valley Golf Club on Friday to improve to 14-under-par. The two-time PGA Tour winner is five shots clear of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in Maryland.
MacIntyre, the world No. 16, has established himself as one of the game’s elite players over the past two years, and he has been a class above a star-studded field through 36 holes of the FedEx Cup playoff event. He continues to reap the rewards from a big gamble that saw him turn his back on living in the United States.
MacIntyre is renowned for his no-frills demeanor off the course, enjoying a simple life centered around his family and close friends.
And he gave another insight into how he conducts himself when he is away from the course after turning in a six-under-par card on Friday.
“I don’t even know the time. Probably get a coffee before 4:00 p.m. and then get dinner, chill out, sit and watch the golf, speak to my family and friends back home, and drink a couple of Coca-Colas and go to bed,” he told reporters.
The down-to-earth lefty, who won the hearts of fans with his conduct after narrowly missing out on U.S. Open glory in June, was notoriously something of a slow starter in tournaments earlier in his career, but he has raced to the front in Maryland.
MacIntyre has been in sensational form at Caves Valley(Image: James Gilbert/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
MacIntyre revealed that tennis icon and fellow Scot Sir Andy Murray has been hugely influential in helping him perfect his routine off the course leading into tournaments.
“We know statistically that I was slower in the mornings. My scoring average wasn’t as good in the morning as it was in the afternoon. We looked at that. We checked out why that was.
“We’ve not scientifically found out the answer. We’ve kind of worked it out between my team and I, from bands to heart rate monitors to everything, and I’m warming up now before my rounds, stretching, doing some stuff in the gym before I play now so that when I get out there, I’m ready to go.
“To be honest, I got told by a very successful Scottish athlete that sleep is the most important thing that he learnt in his career, and it’s something that I really prioritize before a day is my sleep.
“[That athlete is] probably one of the greatest sportsmen, Andy Murray. When I played the pro-am with him, it was one of the things I asked him, and he really said the biggest thing he learnt for recovery was his sleep, so let’s get the head down.”
MacIntyre has plenty of opportunity to get some rest before his tee time on Saturday. He will go out last alongside the world’s best in Scheffler, teeing off at 1:45 p.m. ET.