Paul McGinley makes major Robert MacIntyre prediction

Paul McGinley has “no doubt” that Robert MacIntyre can win majors – and thinks Augusta National could be the perfect place for him to start. 

MacIntyre will head down Magnolia Lane an entirely different player to the one that made his last Masters appearance three years ago.

A strong tied 12th finish on his 2021 debut was backed up with a T23 by the Oban man the following year, but MacIntyre has reached another level during his Augusta exile.

Now 20th in the world rankings after memorable wins at last year’s RBC Canadian Open and Genesis Scottish Open, MacIntyre is being viewed by some as a genuine contender to become Scotland’s second Masters champion after Sandy Lyle.

Indeed, from a record eight left-handers in the field at the famed Georgia course this time around – three-time winner Phil Mickelson chief amongst them – the transformed MacIntyre heads the betting.

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“Left-handers always do great at Augusta,” McGinley told bunkered.co.uk as he assessed MacIntyre’s bid for a Green Jacket. “A lot of the shots around Augusta are fades for him which is an easier shot to play than a draw.

“He’s a better player now than when he played the Ryder Cup 18 months ago. He’s a complete player. His stats have been excellent this year. He hits the ball a long way, hits a lot of fairways, his iron play is excellent and he’s another guy with a lot of heart. He plays with his heart on his sleeve.”

McGinley believes MacIntyre’s newfound confidence after two big wins in 2024 make him a dangerous prospect for this upcoming major season.

“He’s not afraid of the big moments,” the Irishman added. “He proved that last year, going out leading in Canada at a big tournament and he didn’t back down. Then he goes and wins his home event against a real quality field and didn’t back down.

“He’s got all the attributes and I have no doubt there’s majors coming his way. I don’t know how quickly but there’s majors coming his way. On the current path he’s on, it’s brilliant.”

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The Ryder Cup, where MacIntyre scored two-and-a-half points from three on debut in Rome in 2023, has been pinpointed as the catalyst for the Scot’s impressive rise.

“That was huge for him psychologically,” McGinley added. “He proved to himself he was part of the big time. He’s followed on from there and he’s gone on to another level since then.

“He’s served his apprenticeship. He spent five, six, seven years on the DP World Tour and each step he solidified his place. Not the Ryder Cup he played in, the one before he took his eye off the ball with qualifying, he started playing a bit more in America and didn’t focus on Europe. But he learned that lesson.

“For the qualifying campaign going into Italy, that’s how he made the team over Adrian Meronk. He played more European Tour events and made more points. Even though Meronk had won more times in Europe, he played more in America than Bob did. Bob didn’t make that mistake again. It worked out well, two years previously [at Whistling Straits] he would have been part of a record losing team.

“Now he’s part of the best Ryder Cup performance ever by a team. How he played buoyed him with a lot of confidence and he’s carried that on.

“He’s on a great trajectory. He’ll be one of our top players in September.”

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Ben Parsons is the Senior Writer at bunkered 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.