Robert MacIntyre pleased with best-ever Masters round

Robert MacIntyre can drive back down Magnolia Lane with his head held high, after he posted a three-under 69 – his lowest in eight career rounds at The Masters.

MacIntyre started Sunday too far back to challenge for the Green Jacket but a strong finish will prove invaluable for the Scotsman as he chases his PGA Tour card, as well as for his world ranking. 

After a tough day on Saturday, he made the most of beautiful conditions in the final round on a course he described as the “most special place I’ve ever been in my life.”

“It’s just perfect,” he said. “You don’t get this in Britain. You don’t get this in Europe. I’ve been to a lot of courses around the world but this is top of the list.

“Oban is beautiful but I’d say Augusta National beats it.”

MacIntyre, playing with Harold Varner III, was on fine form in his final round, which saw him climb the Masters leader board. 

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“I just played solid,” he said. “This week is probably the best I’ve struck it, I played great today. There weren’t many weak-left misses, which has been my miss for about two years now.

“The last two weeks we’ve gone away from technique and concentrated more on it being in play. Today, I was standing on the range hitting all the shots I was needing to go out there and play and I did the same on the golf course.” 

While he had failed to record a birdie in Saturday’s third round, there were no such issues for the Scot on Sunday. A bogey at the first wasn’t the start he was hoping for, and a loose drive on the par-5 2nd was far from ideal, too.

However, a remarkable recovery shot, followed by a perfectly judged pitch, led to a birdie and MacIntyre was on his way. Another birdie followed at the third, thanks to more great touch around Augusta’s greens.

The difficult stretch of four, five and six were safely navigated, before he was once again gaining shots on the field. An eight-footer was converted for birdie on seven, and two striped shots to the front of the eighth green left the man from Oban with a straightforward up-and-down for his fourth birdie of the day.

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Holes around the turn had proven difficult for MacIntyre in previous rounds, but there was no struggles in his final round. Regulation pars at nine, ten and eleven had the Scot three-under on the day heading to ‘Amen Corner’.

Although he couldn’t capitalise on the par-5 13th, his wedge to the 14th green rolled to the side of the hole to set up his fifth birdie of what was becoming a fantastic round.

The 15th was lengthened from previous years and a drive behind trees
required a lay-up. However, MacIntyre’s punch-shot caught a branch, with
the ball eventually finishing a few yards from his fee

“That was a cardinal sin,” he admitted.

His par putt narrowly missed and he recorded his second bogey of the day.

With three holes left, three birdie putts followed, all of which
narrowly missed, and a tap-in par on the final hole meant he signed for a
final round of 69.

MacIntyre will be hoping to return to Augusta National next year but,
until then, he can hold his head high, knowing he has another strong
major showing under his belt.