The Open 2024: Robert MacIntyre relaxed at Royal Troon after ‘wild’ Scottish Open celebrations
The celebrations will be even more raucous should MacIntyre go back-to-back this week and there is every reason to think he will challenge on the Ayrshire coast.
He comes into the event as one of the world’s in-form players, having climbed to 16th in the rankings as a result of winning his first PGA Tour event at the Canadian Open in June and following it with last week’s success.
“It wasn’t until I won in Canada that I really felt like I could compete out here fully,” he said.
“It’s just an attitude thing. You’re not given anything out here, you’ve got to earn it. You’ve got to earn the respect of the guys you’ve looked up to for many years.”
This past six weeks has capped a fine 12 months since he shot a 64 to finish one stroke behind winner Rory McIlroy at last year’s Scottish Open.
He qualified for the European Ryder Cup team and was unbeaten in three matches in a comprehensive victory over the Americans in Rome before going on to secure one of 10 PGA Tour cards handed out to the DP World Tour’s best players.
“The Ryder Cup was an eye-opener for me,” he said.
“I realised those guys are just normal guys. It wasn’t until probably then I realised: You know what? If these guys can do it, I can do it.”
MacIntyre moved to the US at the start of the year but after a well-documented indifferent start to life in Florida and on the PGA Tour, where he missed three of his first four cuts, he has opted to return to living in Scotland.
“This year was a trial run to see if I enjoyed living in America. It wasn’t just about me, it was about both us,” he said, referring to his girlfriend Shannon Hartley.
“I’ll still play on the PGA Tour. Nothing’s changing other than I’m not paying a whole lot of rent on a house I maybe spent four or five weeks in since January. To me, it’s absolute madness.”
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