Bob MacIntyre makes cheeky request to commemorate Scottish Open win

It was the remarkable stroke of luck that helped Bob MacIntyre achieve a lifelong dream – and the Scot says he knows how he wants it to be remembered.

Standing on the 16th tee and needing two birdies to force a playoff with clubhouse leader Adam Scott at the Genesis Scottish Open, the Oban star had a remarkable stroke of luck when his ball buried in the thick stuff after a wayward drive.

Wearing metal spikes, MacIntyre noticed a sprinkler head under his feet as he took his stance, and an official ruled he was permitted a take free relief. He hoiked his approach to six feet on the par-5 before holing a 20-foot birdie putt at the finisher to spark wild celebrations across the Home of Golf.

Earlier in the week, a plaque had been revealed by The Renaissance Club to commemorate Rory McIlroy’s remarkable 2-iron that set up victory for the Northern Irishman in the same tournament 12 months before.

Nice surprise awaiting Rory McIlroy when he turns up to defend his title this week. @ScottishOpen pic.twitter.com/9Cv1WBipHp

— Ben Parsons (@_benparsons) July 8, 2024

So, when he finally rocked up for his pre-Open press conference, it was only natural that MacIntyre would be asked if he wanted the same treatment.

A mischievous grin widened across his face.

“A gold-plated sprinkler,” he joked.

Following his victory in East Lothian, MacIntyre celebrated the victory he’s dreamed of since childhood before adding that “we’ll pitch up to The Open when we pitch up to The Open”.

His press conference at Royal Troon, which was scheduled for Monday afternoon, was pushed back to Wednesday lunchtime, and the 27-year-old was in good spirits as he prepares for a fifth tilt at the Claret Jug.

So how would he rank those celebrations out of ten? “Ten,” he smiled, without a moment of hesitation.

“Look,” he added. “I’m not a big drinker, but when you get moments like that, a childhood dream and a lifetime goal, and you’ve got family and friends there that have backed you since you were a young kid, I think it was quite right to go absolutely wild.

“I think we done a good job of that.”

He also revealed that last week was “as relaxed as I’ve ever been for the Scottish Open” – and he is hoping to take that into Troon.

“I was absolutely chilled out all week,” he added. “There were no nerves, there was nothing going on, and I was just trying to enjoy myself as much as I can.

“Coming here, it’s the exact same again. I’m very relaxed and enjoying time with friends and family back at the house when I’m not on the golf course and enjoying time with my team when I’m on the golf course.”

His Scottish Open title came 25 years after the tournament’s last home winner – Colin Montgomerie in 1999. It just so happens that is the same time span since the last British Open champion. But MacIntyre isn’t interested in getting sucked into any chat about fate.

Instead, it’s about the hard work he’s put in to make it to a career-high 16th in the world rankings.

“Tomorrow we’ll start off from level par,” he explained. “I’ve got as much chance as everyone else in the field. Same Thursday last week, I had the same chance as everyone else.

“It’s just about getting in that position on Sunday and seeing where the cards fall. Obviously last week they fell my way. My job is to go out there, fight as hard as I can, try my best, and hopefully get in a position where I can just have a chance.

“That’s all I can ask myself, and that’s the only bit of kind of anything that I want is just have a chance. If I do my job well enough and I hit the shots I see, execute them as well as I can, accept where they end up, then there’s a chance.”

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Even when asked about having the support of the home crowd, MacIntyre is keen to avoid it being just about nationality.

“Look, 95 per cent of them are supporting you, and it’s always nice,” he explained. “But again, they’re here to watch me perform and perform hard, and that’s all I can do, give it 110 per cent and hopefully give them something to cheer about.”

Then, allowing himself to be a touch more sentimental, he added: “It’s brilliant to know so many people are backing and supporting you. It’s just great to know that you’re bringing so much joy to other people. I’m just doing my job. My job is to get the golf ball in the hole as quickly as possible. If I do it well, then I’ll give myself a chance, and that’s when the crowd really, really gets going.

“Sunday afternoon last week, I mean, some of the roars, I’m sure, the people that were finishing before me were hearing what was going on. It’s just so cool to have the support. Since I got on the European Tour in 2019, the support I’ve had from home in Scotland has been outrageous.”

Imagine the roars that will ring out around Ayrshire if “Bob from Oban” lifts the Claret Jug on Sunday.

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Alex Perry is the Associate Editor of bunkered. A journalist for more than 20 years, he has been a golf industry stalwart for the majority of his career and, in a five-year spell at ESPN, covered every sporting event you can think of. He completed his own Grand Slam at the 2023 Masters, having fallen in love with the sport at his hometown club of Okehampton and on the links of nearby Bude & North Cornwall.

Associate Editor