NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — Ludvig Åberg overcame a pair of bogeys early on the back nine with two late birdies that carried him to a 5-under 65 on Saturday at the Scottish Open, slightly dampening the enthusiasm of a gallery fully behind local star Robert MacIntyre.
“Not the most stress-free golf, but it was again a good score,” Aberg said. “I’m pleased with the way I hung in there and finished it out.”
The final round before most of the field heads to Royal Troon for The Open was packed with possibilities, starting with MacIntyre.
Scotland’s best player, already with a PGA Tour victory this year in the Canadian Open, surged to a 2-shot lead at one point and heard his name chanted along the way. He closed with a tough bogey and still shot 63, putting him in the final group with Aberg.
“I’ve not been shy in saying it: The Scottish Open is the one I want,” MacIntyre said. “It’s not going to change tomorrow. I’m in that position. I’ve been doing good things. I’ve been playing well, not just this week but for the previous eight weeks I feel like my game has been in good shape. Tomorrow, I’ve just got to control me.
“And if I do that well, then I’m going to be in with a chance.”
MacIntyre looked like a winner in the Scottish Open a year ago until Rory McIlroy birdied the last hole with a 2-iron from 201 yards into a harsh wind off the Firth of Forth to deny him.
Now he’s back, trying to block out the hype and cheers while knowing what it would mean.
“All I can do is hit the golf ball as well as I can and accept the outcome,” MacIntyre said.
Tougher than the expectations is chasing down Aberg, the Swedish star with the flawless swing who was at his best in a light rain to at least give himself some separation.
Aberg was at 17-under 193 as he goes for his first victory of the year and third in a career that began only 13 months ago after leaving Texas Tech as the top player in college golf.
Adam Scott played with MacIntyre and had a 64, leaving him 3 shots behind in pursuit of his first victory in more than four years. Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala each had a 66 and were four behind. Theegala bogeyed his last two holes after briefly sharing the lead.
McIlroy was still in the game, despite his putter going cold down the stretch for the third straight day. He had to settle for a 67. That left him 5 shots behind Aberg, a player he lobbied to have in the Ryder Cup last year.
Aberg came back to the field with a bogey on the 11th and then a three-putt bogey on the 12th when he missed a 30-inch putt. That was the last of his big mistakes. He had three birdies and two par saves the rest of the way.
But the crowd was all about Bob.
MacIntyre, the lefty from the northwest coastal town of Oban, got them into it early with a five-hole stretch he played in 5 under, including a drive on the 329-yard fifth hole to 40 feet for eagle.
Scott has played all over the world with home favorites — including a group one year at the Japan Open with Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Ishikawa — and this felt like a joy ride.
“Bob’s playing great, and he’s the hero,” Scott said. “Playing golf in Scotland is fantastic — love it my whole career — but playing with Bob today was really special. Trying to hang on to his coattails while he was running hot was good fun.”
Scott did his part to hang with him with three straight birdies in the middle of the back nine to give himself a good chance and build some momentum going into The Open.
Antoine Rozner holed out from the seventh fairway for eagle that helped him to a 68 and in the group at 13-under par, important because the Frenchman is not yet in The Open. The leading three players not already exempt will get into the final major. Maximilian Kieffer of Germany boosted his chances with a 64 that left him at 10 under and in a tie for 11th.