A year after being denied by Rory McIlroy’s last-gasp heroics, Robert MacIntyre has another chance to claim the title he craves most in the £7million Genesis Scottish Open.
MacIntyre carded a third round of 63 at the Renaissance Club, the lowest of the day in changeable conditions, to trail Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg by two shots.
Aberg followed consecutive rounds of 64 with a 65 to reach 17 under par, with MacIntyre on 15 under and former world number one Adam Scott another shot back following a 64 compiled alongside the home favourite.
Defending champion McIlroy heads into the final round five shots off the lead after a frustrating third round of 67.
Even a three-putt bogey on the 18th could not take the shine off MacIntyre’s day, the left-hander also carding an eagle and seven birdies to surge through the field in front of a partisan home crowd.
“The last is a difficult hole, whether it’s flat calm, downwind, into wind, and when they put the pin up that top shelf, it makes it even harder,” MacIntyre said.
“But overall I played absolutely brilliantly. Tee to green was solid again, rolled the putter beautifully. I’ve just got to let it happen, and it happened.
“I’ve not been shy in saying it, the Scottish Open is the one that I want. That’s my end goal, I’ve said it from the start of the week. The Scottish Open on a resume for my whole career is what I want.
“I’ve just got to go and play golf and let it happen. I can’t force it, there’s so many good players in the tournament chasing me down. I can only control me and I’ve controlled myself very well so far.
“I’ve got 18 holes to control myself even more.”
For the third day running McIlroy felt he could easily have been two or three shots better off, the world number two covering his first 10 holes in four under before a run of seven straight pars and a bogey on the 18th.
“The birdies dried up,” admitted McIlroy, who is competing for the first time since agonisingly missing out on a fifth major title in the US Open.
“I kept hitting good shots, especially the last few holes. I think I had three 8-footers on 15, 16, 17 for birdie that I didn’t convert and made bogey on the last.
“So the last four holes I’ve probably played them the worst that I could, which is unfortunate because I felt like I could have been right up there, sort of at 15-under around the lead, and to give one away at the last is disappointing.
“But I’ll be within three or four [of the lead] and at least still have a shot if I get off to a good start. It’s another opportunity to go out there and try to win a very prestigious tournament that’s got a lot of history.”
McIlroy’s next chance to end a major drought which stretches back to 2014 comes in next week’s Open at Royal Troon and he added: “It’s easy to stay patient, knowing that the game is there.
“Easy to stay patient knowing that there’s one eye on this week and ultimately one eye on next week, too.
“But I would love to go into next week after getting myself right into the thick of things tomorrow.”
Aberg initially responded superbly to MacIntyre’s charge with birdies on the first, third, sixth and 10th, but bogeyed the 11th and 12th to find himself two behind.
However, the world number four then holed from long range for birdie on the 13th and picked up further shots on the 16th and 17th to reclaim the lead.
“Not the most stress-free golf but it was again a good score,” said Aberg, who missed the cut in the Scottish Open last year in just his fifth event as a professional.
“I felt like I was playing well. I was hitting the shots that I wanted to and then obviously made bogey on 11 and 12 but those things are going to happen when you play a 72-hole golf tournament. You can’t be perfect all the time.
“But I’m pleased with the way I hung in there and finished it out. When a putt like that goes in on 13, it gives you a little bit of an extra boost I guess and I’m looking forward to the final round.
“Looks like I’m playing with Bob as well, so it will be a cool pairing.”