Robert MacIntyre, the professional golfer, acknowledged that he might struggle to forgive Rory McIlroy for taking victory away from him in the Genesis Scottish Open if he fails to claim the title himself.
MacIntyre had set an impressive clubhouse target last year with a birdie on the 18th hole at the Renaissance Club, making it only the second birdie of the day on that challenging closing hole due to the strong winds.
However, McIlroy, who was leading overnight, managed to birdie the par-three 17th to tie with MacIntyre, and then hit a spectacular 2-iron approach shot on the last hole, which has now been commemorated with a plaque. McIlroy went on to hole a 10-foot putt to secure an unexpected win.
According to Ryder Cup statistics specialist Edoardo Molinari, the chances of McIlroy birdieing both the 17th and 18th holes were just 0.15 percent.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forgive him if I don’t win a Scottish Open,” MacIntyre commented with a faint smile. “If it’s not a major championship, this is the one I want.
“It was an incredible golf shot he hit. That was the winning shot, really. It was a good shot and it was a bit heartbreaking.”
MacIntyre revealed that he had a conversation with McIlroy about the putt on the 18th hole when they were both on Europe’s Ryder Cup team. He mentioned, “I asked him one question at some point during the party.”
“I had not spoken to him at all about it since the day it happened, and I always wanted to ask him about the putt (on 18). He thought he had missed it and it went in. So it just shows you, it doesn’t have to be perfect for it to work out.”
MacIntyre’s decision to take on his PGA Tour card this season had its challenges, but he managed to benefit greatly from a three-week period back in Scotland after struggling to adjust to being away from home.
Robert MacIntyre tees off on the 14th hole during the final round of the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in United Kingdom. (Photo: Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
After returning to the United States, the 27-year-old golfer finished eighth in the US PGA Championship and later went on to win the RBC Canadian Open with his father as his caddy. Despite his success, MacIntyre has decided not to renew his rental property lease in Florida and plans to spend more time in Scotland.
“I’m still going to play over there,” MacIntyre mentioned. “I’m just not going to pay a lot of money for a rental that I’m not staying in. I’ll maybe take a house for maybe a month, two months when I’m there.
“I’ve joined Isleworth so that will always be a place I go and practise in the wintertime, but there’s nothing like home. Scotland, this is where I want to be.”
MacIntyre, who felt nervous playing alongside McIlroy in the Scottish Open in 2019, mentioned that this year will be different as he joins McIlroy and Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland for the first two rounds.
“Obviously with the Ryder Cup, being part of a team, I know him a lot better personally,” MacIntyre reflected.
“I’m still miles away from being one of his close pals, but I feel like if I ever need anything or ever want to ask a question, I can pick up the phone and ask. And Viktor I’ve known since we were 14, 15 years old playing boys’ golf.
“This is probably the most calm I’ve been (coming into a Scottish Open). It’s not been as frantic. Things have been under control. Yeah, my game has been up and down but it’s been up and down my whole golfing life.
“But this is the one that, as a Scot, I really want.
“Last year I came really close but there may not be another opportunity like that in my career playing golf. I’ve just got to try and play it as another event and give it my absolute best, which I will do.”
