Bob MacIntyre secured his first victory on the PGA Tour simply 5 months into his first full season look on the topflight US circuit after successful the Canadian Open in high-quality type – and together with his dad available to hold out caddying duties.
The 27-year-old Scot, who had solely admitted final month that he was struggling to deal with the calls for of being away from residence and his pals for such lengthy durations, determined to ask his father, Dougie, a part-time greenkeeper in Scotland, to take over bag duties this week with a purpose to give him a carry after discovering life on tour robust going regardless of placing in some respectable performances, together with an eighth place end eventually month’s PGA Championship.
DAD ON THE BAG DOES THE TRICK
And the choice to offer the bag to dad proved to be an impressed one, with MacIntyre Jnr placing in a championship-winning efficiency, together with his 16-under-par complete being ok for a one-shot win over American Ben Griffin.
Holding a five-shot lead with seven holes to play, that comfy benefit was whittled away by the chasing pack, which additionally included Rory McIlroy, who closed with a 64, however MacIntyre, an unbeaten debutant eventually 12 months’s Ryder Cup, confirmed nice psychological energy down the stretch to carry off all-comers, with the left-hander firing a closing two-under 68 to maintain his head in entrance at Hamilton Golf & Nation Membership and safe a $1.6m payday – the largest of his profession.
“I had a hell of a battle in me,” he mentioned. “I’ve been working actually laborious on the psychological aspect of the sport as a result of as soon as we picked aside my recreation of golf, we realised that my golf isn’t the issue, I’m the issue. I’ve labored laborious at that with my staff, and it has in all probability paid off over the past 4 or 5 weeks.”
Requested what he may do with the good-looking reward, Macintyre mentioned he would use a few of it to repay his mother and father’ mortgage as a small token in recognising the massive half they performed in getting him so far in his profession.
“I couldn’t play in golf tournaments as a junior as a result of we couldn’t afford it,” MacIntyre mirrored. “I feel that made me. That makes me battle and by no means surrender. My mother and father gave me the chance, however by no means was I spoon fed, I used to be all the time preventing for each little bit of it.”
“Dad’s going to get a pleasant pay take a look at of it. I feel I’ve acquired to eliminate some cash simply now for tax causes, however he’ll do properly out of it. He deserves it. My mum and pop can be mortgage-free now, and life’s trying a little bit bit higher on that aspect of issues for them.”
TEARS FLOWED ON THE 18TH
With each participant and caddie in tears on the 18th inexperienced, post-match interviews had been emotionally-filled affairs.
“He was a caddie for the week, however on the finish of the day, he’s my dad,” MacIntyre added. “He simply desires me to do properly as a result of I’m his son, and there’s no angles to it, there’s nothing. The emotion on the finish, it was simply virtually out of sheer disbelief that we did it with him on the bag. It simply reveals that I can compete on the high degree. I all the time knew I might, however till you do it, you actually don’t know.”
And a pep discuss by his dad proved very important in his win, with MacIntyre revealing: “He was having a wee go at me after I was strolling from the tenth tee all the way down to the green. Look, he was a sporting man, he is aware of learn how to win, is aware of learn how to lose, he’s been by way of all of it.”
Victory additionally earned MacIntyre a spot in subsequent week’s Memorial Match – which he plans on skipping with a purpose to have a good time with household and pals again at residence in Oban – in addition to a spot within the following week’s US Open at Pinehurst, which will get underneath means on June 13.
