By Ilori Wonderful
SAN ANTONIO — Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre surged into firm control of the 2026 Valero Texas Open on Friday, firing a brilliant 8-under 64 to reach 14-under par and open a four-shot lead heading into the weekend at TPC San Antonio.
MacIntyre’s round was the standout performance of the day. He caught fire down the stretch with birdies on four of his final five holes and added an eagle at the par-5 14th, producing a composed and aggressive display that pushed him clear of the field. By the close of play, Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg stood closest at 10-under, with a tightly packed group of contenders still chasing behind.
That group included Bud Cauley, Tony Finau, Thorbjørn Olesen and Kevin Roy at 9-under, while Sam Ryder, Ryo Hisatsune, Alex Smalley, Andrew Putnam, Steven Fisk and John Parry remained within striking distance at 8-under. While MacIntyre seized command, Friday also produced some of the tournament’s most dramatic moments around the cutline, where late heroics and costly mistakes changed fortunes in an instant.
Matt McCarty delivered one of the clutch moments of the round. Standing at even par with one hole left in his second round, he needed something special to continue his week and found it at the par-5 18th. Two excellent shots left him with a five-foot eagle putt, which he calmly converted for a 68 to finish at 2-under 142, right on the cut line and still alive for the weekend.
If McCarty was impressive, Bronson Burgoon went even further. Burgoon looked headed for an early exit after slipping to 3-over with seven holes remaining, but then produced a stunning turnaround. He birdied six of his last seven holes, including the final five in a row, to card a 67 and safely make the cut at 3-under 141.
Mark Hubbard, who had opened the tournament with a sparkling 7-under 65 to lead after the first round, nearly saw his week collapse on Friday. After a steady front nine, Hubbard unraveled on the back nine and stumbled to a 42. He needed a composed par on the final hole just to survive, ultimately making the cut right on the number.
Several big names were not as fortunate. Russell Henley struck the ball well from tee to green, but poor putting and costly mistakes on the greens left him short after rounds of 72 and 71. Tom Hoge also missed the cut again after a closing bogey, while Sepp Straka paid heavily for a triple bogey and a double across his two rounds.
Tom Kim fell short as well, despite brief flashes of quality, recording his first missed cut of the season. Rickie Fowler and Max Homa also endured difficult second rounds, ending their weeks early and denting their hopes of building momentum ahead of the Masters.
McCarty remained in the tournament picture entering the weekend, but still with significant ground to make up. Though safely through, he sat far behind MacIntyre’s commanding pace and will need something extraordinary over the final two rounds to force his way into contention.
The tournament opened with Hubbard in front after a weather-affected first round, but the picture shifted dramatically on Friday as MacIntyre took full control with one of the best rounds of the week. At TPC San Antonio, momentum has proven fragile, the cutline ruthless, and survival often decided by a single shot. Now, with the weekend ahead, the focus turns to whether MacIntyre can finish the job or whether the chasing pack can produce another twist.
