MacIntyre made Spaun earn the U.S. Open title, nearly pulling off a record-tying comeback

OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Robert MacIntyre nearly matched the biggest final-round comeback in U.S. Open history.

Instead, he had to settle for sole possession of second place, but on a day when so many contenders — including the winner — had their problems, MacIntyre handled both Oakmont and the weather with aplomb.

MacIntyre shot a 2-under 68 on Sunday to finish the tournament at 1 over — two strokes behind J.J. Spaun. MacIntyre was seven strokes back of leader Sam Burns at the beginning of the day. He actually made up 10 shots on Burns but couldn't outlast Spaun.

“I think when I was walking up 14 or 12, and I seen a leaderboard that the leader was at even par. I kind of knew where I was at, I was at 3-over, I think, at the time,” MacIntyre said. “The whole week, I’ve said level par in my head. I’m just looking for four even pars. Almost got there, but not quite.”

As MacIntyre spoke, Spaun was still out on the course. A playoff — or even an outright victory for MacIntyre — was still possible. When Spaun rolled in his majestic birdie putt on 18 to finish at 1 under, camera footage showed MacIntyre clapping.

Arnold Palmer is still the only U.S. Open winner to come from seven strokes behind in the final round. He did it in 1960 at Cherry Hills.

Palmer birdied six of his first seven holes that day. MacIntyre's rally was more about staying afloat and waiting for the leaders to fall back. The left-hander from Scotland actually bogeyed two of his first three holes to drop to 5 over, but a 58-foot putt for eagle on the par-5 fourth started him in the right direction.

“That kind of settled me down,” he said. “That got me into somewhat of a groove and back in the golf tournament. Then the back nine was just all about fighting.”

MacIntyre said he dried off his shirt and kept stretching during a 97-minute weather delay that interrupted the final round. Down the stretch he was sharp, hitting his tee shot just short of the green on the par-4 17th and moving to 1 over with a birdie there. He had a birdie putt from just over 30 feet on the last hole, but that one didn't drop, and Spaun finished the tournament with two straight birdies to win it.

But MacIntyre did enough to make him earn it. Of the top six finishers, only MacIntyre shot under par on the final day. And the Scot was the only player in the field to shoot under par both Saturday and Sunday.

"Today was a day that I said to myself, Why not? Why not it be me today?" he said. “When I was going round, and I just trusted myself, trusted my caddie Mike (Burrow), trusted all the work that I’ve done.”

MacIntyre was a member of Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team in 2023. He won his first two PGA Tour titles last year at the Canadian Open and Scottish Open.

Although being from Scotland didn't necessarily give him an advantage in the wet weather at Oakmont.

“When that rain came on, I wouldn’t be outside. I’d be indoors like you guys,” he said. “Fair-weather golfer now that I’ve moved to the PGA Tour.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Robert MacIntyre, of Scotland, hits from the rough on the second hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Robert MacIntyre, of Scotland, waves as he walks to the 18th green during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Robert MacIntyre, of Scotland, lines up a putt on the 18th hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Robert MacIntyre, of Scotland, lines up a putt on the 18th hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Robert MacIntyre, of Scotland, and Cameron Young, left, shake hands after finishing the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Gunmen attacked several locations in Mali's capital and other cities on Saturday in a possible coordinated assault, residents and authorities said.

Mali’s army said in a statement that “unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks” in Bamako and that soldiers were “engaged in eliminating the attackers.” It said in another statement later the situation was under control.

An Associated Press journalist in Bamako heard sustained heavy weapons and automatic rifle gunfire coming from Modibo Keïta International Airport, around 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the city center, and saw a helicopter over nearby neighborhoods. The airport is adjacent to an air base used by Mali's air force. A resident living near the airport also reported gunfire and three helicopters patrolling overhead.

The U.S. Embassy in Bamako issued a security alert citing reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and the international airport, and urged U.S. citizens to shelter in place and avoid travel there.

Mali has been plagued by insurgencies fought by affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the north.

Residents in other cities in central and northern Mali reported gunfire and blasts on Saturday morning.

A resident of Kati, a town near Bamako that is home to Mali’s main military base, said he was woken by the sound of gunfire and explosions. Gen. Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali’s military junta, resides in Kati.

Videos on social media showed militant convoys in trucks and motorcycles moving through the town's deserted streets, while residents looked on fearfully.

Residents of Sevare and Mopti, two towns in central Mali, also reported attacks by gunmen.

Other videos in the northern towns of Kidal and Gao showed gunfire exchanges in the streets, with dead bodies lying on the ground.

Gunmen entered Kidal, taking control of some neighborhoods and leading to exchanges of fire with the army, a former mayor of the town told the AP by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Tuareg-led Azawad separatist movement, said in a post on Facebook that its forces had taken control of Kidal as well as some areas in Gao, another northeastern city. The AP could not independently verify his claim.

Kidal had long served as a stronghold of the separatist rebellion before being taken by Malian government forces and Russian mercenaries in 2023. Its capture marked a significant symbolic victory for the junta and its Russian allies.

The Tuareg-led separatists have been fighting for years to create an independent state in northern Mali.

A resident of Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, said gunfire and explosions started in the early hours of Saturday and could still be heard in the late morning.

“The force of the explosions is making the doors and windows of my house shake. I’m scared out of my wits,” the resident told AP by phone. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns for his safety. The resident said the gunfire came from the army camp and the airport, which are right next to each other.

Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said the assault seems to be the largest coordinated attack in years in Mali.

“It’s especially concerning that JNIM (al-Qaida affiliated group) apparently has been coordinating today’s attacks with Tuareg rebels. Jihadists and Tuareg rebels teamed up in 2012 when they overran northern Mali, sparking the region's security crisis.” Laessing said.

Mali, alongside neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, has long been battling armed groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

Following military coups, the juntas in the three countries have turned from Western allies to Russia for help combating Islamic militants. But the security situation has worsened in recent times, analysts say, with a record number of attacks by militants. Government forces have also been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants.

In 2024, an al-Qaida-linked group claimed an attack on Bamako’s airport and a military training camp in the capital, killing scores of people.

An ariel view of Bamako, Mali, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo)