MacIntyre and Fleetwood Make Strong Start at Texas Open

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre is just one stroke behind the leader after a strong first round at the Valero Texas Open, finishing on six under par. MacIntyre's impressive performance included birdies on five holes, including the final two, to stay close to the top of the leaderboard. Mark Hubbard currently leads the pack with a 65, having birdied six of his last eight holes, closely followed by a group of fellow Americans including Tony Finau, Davis Thompson, Andrew Putnam, and Steven Fisk. England's Tommy Fleetwood is also in the mix, just a shot behind MacIntyre after an opening 67, alongside Swedish golfer Ludvig Åberg. The first round was delayed due to bad weather, resulting in 24 players still on the course when play was halted due to darkness. Among those yet to complete their round are England's John Parry, who was four under par with four holes remaining, and Marco Penge, who finished with an opening 68 after dropping two late shots. The winner of the Texas Open will secure an invitation to The Masters, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Several players, including Tony Finau, are hoping to win this week to earn a spot at The Masters, having not missed a major tournament since the 2017 US Open. Finau expressed his optimism about his chances, stating, 'I feel like I'm really close to putting together a string of good golf tournaments. I've had some good days during tournaments, whether that's in the first round, the final round. But I haven't been able to put together really strong finishes and four days of good golf. So I'm off to a good start this week. I'll just be looking to capitalise on three more days of good golf.'