Scottish Open: Robert MacIntyre’s all-time break results in clutch win

You might not script Robert MacIntyre’s story of redemption on the Genesis Scottish Open.

One yr after ending runner-up to Rory McIlroy on the Renaissance Membership, MacIntyre went on a formidable tear down the stretch, taking part in his closing 5 holes in 4-under-par to prime Adam Scott by a stroke. He holed a 22-footer for birdie on the 18th gap to win his nation’s Nationwide Open in regulation.

“I believe I misplaced my voice after the scream on that gap. I assumed I used to be brief,” MacIntyre mentioned after.

“Look, I’ve put a variety of work into this. I’ve modified quite a bit throughout the crew, and I’ve simply labored onerous. I wished The Scottish Open. The group has been unbelievable.

His run to greatness started on the scenic par-3 14th, the place MacIntyre holed a 41-footer for birdie to fireside up the native crowd. His birdie there bought him to 15-under for the championship.

Then, two holes later, on the par-5 sixteenth—a gap he bogeyed through the closing spherical one yr in the past—MacIntyre obtained an all-time break.

The Scotsman pulled his drive proper of the sixteenth fairway, and his ball nestled down in deep, gnarly tough—the fescue that always provides links-style golf course its enamel and punishes anybody who hits it there.

A birdie appeared dire, and MacIntyre wanted one. At this juncture, MacIntyre trailed Scott by two, however saving par didn’t seem like a assure. Then MacIntyre felt a sprinkler head along with his golf footwear, so he known as over a guidelines official, who supplied him free aid.

“You want a little bit of luck to win golf tournaments,” MacIntyre mentioned after.

“I couldn’t consider it after I heard a spring underneath my foot the place my spike is, and I’m like, no manner. It was lined, and I assumed I bought fortunate; it was meant to be.”

MacIntyre took his drop, which gave him a way more favorable lie and the chance to go for the inexperienced in two. He pummelled his iron shot excessive into the air from 247 yards out, and his ball got here to relaxation six ft from the outlet.

It was the shot of the event.

He then drained the eagle putt, which not solely fired up the Scottish crowd however put him in a tie with Scott atop the leaderboard. A two-putt par on the par-3 seventeenth adopted, after which extra drama ensured on the 72nd gap, a difficult 488-yard par-4 that performed downwind on Sunday.

MacIntyre bombed his tee shot down the correct facet of the green, giving him an excellent angle into the inexperienced, the place a right-side pin awaited him. He hit his strategy shot to 22 ft left of the outlet, setting himself up for a comparatively benign birdie alternative.

Photograph by Harry How/Getty Pictures

After trying it over, the southpaw stepped up, hit his try on-line, and barely gave it the proper velocity. His ball fell within the entrance facet of the outlet, giving MacIntyre his long-awaited Scottish Open victory and sending the gang into an absolute frenzy.

“Simply gave myself an opportunity. That was the job, give your self an opportunity,” MacIntyre added.

“I knew it was stage pin-high as a result of it was beneath the slope, and in my head I simply stored saying to myself, that is what you do, Bob. I’ve completed it.”

The win provides MacIntyre his second profession victory on the PGA Tour and his second of the season. Together with his father caddying for him final month, MacIntyre took dwelling the RBC Canadian Open title, which means he now has two Nationwide Open titles in his trophy case. That win in Hamilton was emotional for a number of causes, as he not solely had his dad—a greenskeeper—looping for him, however MacIntyre had confronted loads of adversity throughout his first full season on the PGA Tour. He admitted to feeling lonely, struggling to acclimate to the American life-style whereas craving for extra days in his native Scotland.

However absolutely, MacIntyre is not going to have any desolate sensations quickly. He’ll relish this victory for years to come back, as this one means as a lot as any.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. Remember to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.