Robert MacIntyre: Positive signs for Scot despite unlucky 13th

Bob MacIntyre was left to rue another unlucky encounter with the 13th on the Old Course as he breathed new life into his Open Championship campaign.

Out in the fourth group at St Andrews, the Oban man carded a three-under 69 to move into red figures for the milestone major, having made the cut on the number on Friday night.

Realistically, the 25-year-old is too far back to mount a title challenge on Sunday. And for that, he can blame the 13th. He dropped a shot there again today, having doubled and bogeyed it on Thursday and Friday respectively.

“It’s golf,” he said. “Some holes you love. Some holes you hate. I’m afraid that’s one that I hate.”

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There were, though, many positives to take away from the round for the former European Tour ‘Rookie of the Year’.

In warm and generally benign conditions, he recovered from a bogey at the second to go out in 35. Birdies at the tenth, 14th and 16th continued the positive vibes. All told, it added up to his best score of the week so far with a Sunday shootout to come in his first major on home soil.

“I enjoyed it today because there was no consequence,” he added. “I was hitting shots I wouldn’t have hit like yesterday. For instance, on 16, I hit driver down the left. Whereas yesterday I had to turn away on that hole because I just had to switch off from golf for a second to give me a bit of peace.

“But tomorrow is going to be absolutely brilliant. Hopefully, I’ll go out a bit later and hopefully shoot a bit lower than today and get the crowd going.

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“Last night, I was sitting at the dinner table just slouched. Didn’t know what to do. I was trying to eat, but I was done. I could have curled up in a ball when I finished and cried.

“Obviously, it was good to make the cut, but we’re wanting a few things in the game, and I’m starting to see signs that, as long as I commit to the work. It’s good to test it on such a tough test.”