Rory McIlroy helping Robert MacIntyre chase PGA Tour ‘dreams’

Robert MacIntyre will use his unforgettable Ryder Cup adventure in Rome to help fuel his American dream. 

In swapping his beloved hometown of Oban for Orlando, the Scotsman has vowed to put everything into a full schedule on the PGA Tour in 2024.

MacIntyre tied up one of 10 PGA Tour cards that were on offer on the DP World Tour last season and has moved Stateside as he makes ‘sacrifices’ to pursue the big goals in his career.

“I am doing it for one thing – not for a lifestyle change, it’s all for my golf game,” he told reporters as he settled into his new base near the luxury Isleworth practice facility in Florida.

• Robert MacIntyre made a little bit of history at the Ryder Cup

• The 10 DP World Tour players who have sealed PGA Tour cards

“I have dreams I want to achieve and I have more chance of achieving them by making this move.”

MacIntyre will kick off his season this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii – “one of my favourite places in the world” – before back-to-back tournaments at the American Express and Farmers Insurance Open. 

And while he is desperate to make his big leap count, he is also relishing this ‘great opportunity’ safe in the knowledge he can head back across the Atlantic and compete on his familiar domain.

“You have been given a golden ticket, almost,” he explained. “The way the cards are working, if you play bad on the PGA Tour, you are still going to have the good card you had on the DP World Tour.

“It’s almost like a free go. That’s the way I see it. A free go at the PGA Tour. Go and get your card secured up by August and then come back to the DP World Tour and then, hopefully, you play well and secure that card.

“For me, it was like a free shot.”

MacIntyre is raring to go once more after spending the festive period back in Oban, reflecting on a whirlwind year that peaked with his magical Ryder Cup debut for a winning Team Europe side at Marco Simone.

The rookie scored 2.5 points for Luke Donald’s side to memorably go unbeaten against formidable Team USA opposition.

And he feels the close relationships forged with teammates in blue-and-gold have been priceless as he looks to elevate his game in America this year.

• Rory McIlroy: I’d love LIV to become the IPL of golf

• Tiger Woods confirms split from Nike

“When I was out here in 2021, mine, Rory’s [McIlroy’s] and Shane’s [Lowry’s] lockers are normally close to each other due to the alphabet and last names,” he explained.

“I always got on well with Shane as we have the same background, pretty chilled out and not give too much of a c**p.

“But always when I met Rory, it was like: Oh, it’s Rory. He’s up there and I’m down here. Whereas, The Ryder Cup – everyone opened up. You know things about those things now you never thought you’d ever know.

“I think that’s where you almost had to gain their respect and then you get their honest personality comes out. You get to know them on a different level. You are not just seeing their professional side, you start to see the personal side of all of these guys because we have become a team and we are trying to chase something down.

“I think that’s a massive part of it in now – I can go into a locker room, Rory is there and you can have a personal chat, you can talk normally.”

MacIntyre appreciates that he can now use the likes of McIlroy and Lowry as sounding boards, and he asked a number of his European colleagues for advice to set up his new home from home, 4,000 miles away from the sheltered comforts of Oban.

“When I was making the move out here, it was all thought about – where’s the best place to go?” he said.

“I want to get family out. I’m not just moving there and see yous [back home] later on. “I’m moving, so how can I be as comfortable as I can? I need an airport nearby as I want my family to come out.

“I want things for them to do when they come out. When I am out practising, they need something to do, not just sit at home.

“So a lot went into it and I spoke to a lot of the guys. Shane, Tommy [Fleetwood], Sepp [Straka]. I spoke to them a lot and just wanted their input. I got that and made my decision based on them. I’ve used them as information feeders, you could say.

“I didn’t know what I was doing, so I just wanted as much information as I could get. So I think being part of that team has opened up those kind of doors for me to get the help of one of the best players ever to play the game.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.