Bob MacIntyre has "nothing to worry about" for Masters despite "disappointment" in Texas

At the same time, though, the Oban man insisted he was “proud” of his performance in the Valero Texas Open and is now aiming to “rinse and repeat” when he turns his attention to the Masters this week.

Four ahead at the halfway stage after opening with rounds of 66 and 64 to set a new tournament record for the event at TPC San Antonio, MacIntyre had to settle for a par-72 as he finished a weather-delayed third round on Sunday.

That left him with a one-shot lead heading into the final circuit and he was quickly joined in the lead then overtaken before digging dip to stage a late rally.

With US Open champion J.J. Spaun having posted a clubhouse target of 17-under-par after signing off with a 67 in testing conditions, MacIntyre rolled in a 16-footer for an eagle-2 at the 17th.

That moved him within one shot of the lead and needing a birdie at the par-5 18th to force a play-off, which looked a possibility after he hit a peach of a drive.

However, MacIntyre then came over the top with a 3-wood with his second shot as he tried to make sure that he didn’t end up in a creek on the left side of the fairway, as had been the case earlier in the day in the third round.

He got line-of-sight relief but still found himself taking a drop in a muddy area, from where he played a good third shot to at least give himself a birdie chance only to come up short left of the hole with it.

A closing 70 meant the 29-year-old had to settle for a share of a second spot with Englishman Matt Wallace, who closed with splendid weekend scores of 64-68, and American Michael Kim.

‘I was proud of the way I played’

“It was solid, but, again, just disappointing not to get a win,” admitted MacIntyre, referring to him having also been in the mix on the back nine in The Players Championship in his most recent start before this one before having to settle for fourth place at TPC Sawgrass last month.

“I was proud of the way I played. Disappointed with some of the bogeys, but good execution when it came to a couple of shots.”

Looking ahead to his next assignment at Augusta National, the 29-year-old added: “I'm right there, I don't need to worry about things. I just need to rinse and repeat again going into next week.”

Norman designed this course and MacIntyre was quick to observe that the closing hole had similarities with the one at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, which was also created by the Australian.

“It just reminds me of the finishing hole of Jumeirah Golf Estates, exact same designer,” he pointed out. MacIntyre isn’t a fan of the hole in Dubai and admitted this one has caused “carnage” for him as he tried to match Spaun’s total.

“With my second shot this morning, I tried to hit up the left, but I hit it right of the water,” he said. “I meant to fade it, but the wind's off the right, it's just not a comfortable shot for me.

“I normally draw my 3-wood, so I should have just stood up there. But my job was to have a third shot, so just do not hit it in the water. I just overcompensated, just pulled it. I had a shot, but, yeah, could have done with it being a bit closer.”

Second Texas Open triumph for J.J. Spaun

Though not getting the win as he tried to add to his RBC Canadian Open and Genesis Scottish Open title triumphs in 2024, the effort saw MacIntyre jump back into the world’s top ten, climbing three spots to eighth.

Spaun, who finished birdie-birdie to deny MacIntyre in the US Open at Oakmont, was the man waiting in the clubhouse on this occasion but did enough to land the title for a second time after landing his breakthrough win in the same event in 2022.