Robert MacIntyre blocks out LIV Golf noise amid Ryder Cup dream

There has never been more noise around men’s professional golf. Not that you’d know it from speaking to Robert MacIntyre.

“Just leave it to the hierarchy,” he says when asked whether he would be opposed to LIV Golf players forming part of Europe’s tilt at next year’s Ryder Cup, and whether the breakaway tour should be allocated world ranking points.

“I’m just here trying to make that Ryder Cup team by playing well and getting up the world rankings.

“I’m a professional golfer and not a lawyer that can decide these things, so I don’t worry about that at all.”

MacIntyre, for what it’s worth, has never contemplated a switch to the Saudi-backed rebel tour. In fact, he has been vocal in his opposition.

But the easy-going sentiments sum up the nature of the man who is currently the top-ranked Scottish golfer in the world.

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While some stars have taken every opportunity to aim digs at the upstart tour, that isn’t the Oban native’s modus operandi.

Instead, he prefers to rise above the noise and infighting in the locker room, maintaining a close friendship with players like Bernd Wiesberger despite their polar opposite views.

“My job is my business, Bernd’s job is his business,” MacIntyre told reporters ahead of this week’s Cazoo Open de France.

“I don’t consider any of it. I don’t hate them for it, I don’t dislike them in any way about it.

“They picked it and away they went.”

MacIntyre heads into this week’s showdown at Le Golf National fresh from his second DP World Tour victory.

He did it the hard way too, seeing off reigning US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, with world No.2 Rory McIlroy also in the mix.

Such players choosing to play in Europe, he says, defies claims by some LIV rebels that the European circuit has been reduced to a developmental setup for the PGA Tour.

“It’s a strong feeder tour,” he says.

“The top guys are playing, at Wentworth we had some of the best players in the world and same last week.

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“It’s strong fields, and for me it’s just playing another golf tournament and trying to win it. I’m not looking at fields and what’s around me, I’m looking to win titles.”

Glencruitten Golf Club’s finest export could not have picked a better venue for his return to the winners’ circle than Marco Simone, the site of next year’s Ryder Cup.

And despite a tough season up to this point, he always knew it was close.

“It was absolutely massive, for everything,” he adds.

“For my season, looking forward to Ryder Cup, everything. It was the place to do it.

“I knew good things were coming though but it was just when. Thankfully it was a big one that I won.

“As winning goes, that’s the biggest win of my life. There’s not many bigger than this one.”