'So many positives' for Bob MacIntyre in toughest test so far in The Masters

While disappointed about a closing bogey, Bob MacIntyre was pleased overall about how he handled his toughest test so far at Augusta National in the opening round of the 86th Masters.

In a strong westerly wind, the Oban man carded a one-over-par 73, one less than his first-round effort 12 months ago, when he went on to tie for 12th on his debut at the Georgia venue.

The effort left MacIntyre sitting joint-32nd as he bids to make it eight cuts out of eight in majors, an impressive run that includes two top-10 finishes in The Open.

“I actually felt I only hit two bad shots today - the tee shot off nine and second shot on 18,” he said afterwards.

The 25-year-old saved par from deep in the trees on the right at the ninth but was unable to get up and down from a greenside bunker at the last.

Out in one-under after a birdie at the par-5 second, he started bogey-double bogey on the inward journey before repairing some of that damage with back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th.

“On 11, we were right between clubs - a 5 and 6,” he admitted of coming a cropper there. “The wind was gusty and we were going to cut a little 5 in there, but that’s when I don’t commit. I decided to hit a hard 6 and I flushed it.

“But the wind caught it right at the end, although I thought it might hang on. If I’d hit the 5-iron on the same line, it would probably have been 10 feet from the hole.”

Playing with 2011 winner Charl Schwartzel and St Andrews-based Amateur champion Laird Shepherd, MacIntyre was particularly pleased about how he’d plotted his way around the course.

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