How Robert MacIntyre is closing in on Scottish golf history

He might have come up just short in his latest bid to win his first European Tour title but there were plenty of positives for Robert MacIntyre to take from his tied-fourth finish in the Italian Open. 

For one, he has moved to a career-high 86th on the Official World Golf Ranking, overtaking Russell Knox to become Scotland’s leading golfer for the first time in his career. 

Pretty impressive when you consider he turned pro just two years ago and started 2019 ranked 247th.

He also climbed to seventh on the Race To Dubai, following his fourth top-5 finish of the year. 

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If he can consolidate that position between now and the end of the season, he will become just the third Scottish golfer to finish inside the top-10 on the European Tour Order of Merit this century, emulating Colin Montgomerie, Paul Lawrie and Gary Orr. 

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Indeed, he could also set a new record for the best ranking achieved by a Scottish player in their rookie season on the European Tour.

That record currently belongs to the late Gordon Brand Jnr, who finished seventh on the OOM at the end of his debut season in 1982.

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MacIntyre could also become the 12th Scot to be crowned European Tour ‘Rookie of the Year’ and the first since Marc Warren in 2006.

That’s to say nothing of the fact that he could potentially become the first rookie ever to top the European Tour standings, the sixth Scot and the first left-hander.

All in all, incredible stuff.