Robert MacIntyre shoots 65 to move within three of Dunhill Links lead

Defending champion Robert MacIntyre shot a second-round 65 at Kingsbarns on Friday, 2 October, to move to eight under par at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. He was tied ninth at halfway, three strokes behind leader Casey Jarvis, giving him a place in a crowded contest heading into Saturday’s third round.

Jarvis led on 11 under after rounds of 66 and 67. Seven players stood between him and MacIntyre: Matthew Jordan, MJ Daffue and Rocco Repetto Taylor shared second at 10 under, while Sam Bairstow, Niklas Nørgaard, Ollie Schniederjans and Ivan Cantero were at nine under. MacIntyre was among eight players tied on eight under, according to the official leaderboard.

How MacIntyre’s 65 changed his position

MacIntyre had opened with a 71 at Carnoustie, leaving him one under after the first round. His 65 at Kingsbarns took seven shots off par for the day and put him on 136 after 36 holes. The move brought him within three shots of Jarvis, whose two-round total was 133. With so many players clustered between eight and 11 under, the leaderboard left little separation among the leading group.

The BBC reported that MacIntyre made four birdies on the front nine. He dropped a shot at the 11th, then responded with four birdies over the following five holes. That sequence accounted for much of the shift from his opening-round position and gave the defending champion a markedly different outlook at halfway.

Of the bogey, MacIntyre said: ‘I got wild with the bogey, but it spurs me on, three birdies in a row.’ He told the BBC he intended to keep shooting at pins and trusting his instincts when he returned to play on Saturday. The remark describes his plan for the next round, rather than any assurance about how he will score.

Who leads the Alfred Dunhill Links after two rounds?

Jarvis held the outright lead by one stroke. Jordan’s second-round 65 at Carnoustie put him alongside Daffue and Repetto Taylor on 10 under. Repetto Taylor recorded a 64 at Kingsbarns, the lowest round of the day identified in the BBC’s report. Four more players were one stroke behind that trio, leaving MacIntyre three strokes from first place but only one from the group at nine under.

Michael Stewart, who had shared the first-round lead after a 65, followed it with a 71 at Kingsbarns and was level with MacIntyre on eight under. Brooks Koepka also reached that mark with a 67. The official leaderboard placed Thomas Detry, Daniel Hillier, Jose Luis Ballester, Jeff Winther and Declan O’Donovan in the same tie. The size of that group is a reminder that MacIntyre’s rise did not give him sole possession of ninth place.

Stewart’s opening round was the subject of NewsJaws’ earlier report. Friday’s change was that Jarvis took the halfway lead while MacIntyre, Stewart and Koepka finished the second round together on eight under.

What happens in Saturday’s third round?

The championship uses three courses: Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and the Old Course at St Andrews. The event also runs a team competition alongside the professional contest, pairing professionals with amateurs. MacIntyre has now played Carnoustie and Kingsbarns in the first two rounds; the BBC said he was preparing to play at St Andrews on Saturday, 3 October.

That leaves the third round as MacIntyre’s next chance to close the gap. The available results establish the standings after 36 holes, not a final outcome. No verified tee time is available in the cited material, and the winner remains undecided at this stage. For now, the firm position is that Jarvis leads by one, while MacIntyre is three back with two completed rounds.