Robert MacIntyre vows to ‘celebrate hard’ after Genesis Scottish Open win

Robert MacIntyre’s Stunning Victory at the Genesis Scottish Open Sets Stage for The Open

Home favourite Robert MacIntyre has promised to “celebrate hard” after riding the wave of his Genesis Scottish Open triumph into the 152nd Open, following a remarkable stroke of luck at the Renaissance Club.

 

Denied the title last year by Rory McIlroy’s stunning finish, MacIntyre produced an electrifying performance after trailing Adam Scott by two shots with three holes to play in a dramatic final round.

 

MacIntyre’s fortunes turned on the par-five 16th when he made an eagle following a brilliant approach shot, made possible by a fortunate free drop from knee-high rough due to a sprinkler head near his ball. This brought MacIntyre level with Scott at 17 under par, thrilling the raucous home crowd. The left-hander then holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th to secure a remarkable victory.

 

Overwhelmed with emotion after his winning birdie, MacIntyre exclaimed, “I think I lost my voice after the scream on that hole. I thought I was short. I’ve put a lot of work into this. I’ve changed a lot within the team and I’ve just worked hard. I wanted The Scottish Open.”

 

Reflecting on his luck on the 16th, MacIntyre added, “I got a bit of luck on 16 that you need to win golf tournaments. I was shouting and swearing going up to the ball because I knew it was my one chance to really make birdie coming in. I got over the ball and thought I was going to be able to move it 100 yards and just as I took the step back, I heard the clunk. I’ve got metal spikes on the front and I was like ‘No way,’ I’ve got a sprinkler under my foot. And that was just a lucky break. You use the rules to your advantage and I got lucky. It was meant to be.”

 

Having won the RBC Canadian Open last month despite struggling with homesickness on the PGA Tour, MacIntyre highlighted the importance of mental toughness. “I’ve hit some great shots in my time, I’ve hit good shots today but the biggest thing’s the mental attitude. I had to look myself in the face and accept I was the problem. I’ve worked so hard on that and I just stay in the fight. I’ve been brought up to fight for everything and I just fought for it.”

 

Looking ahead to The Open, MacIntyre declared, “Next week is a new week but I tell you, I’m going to celebrate this with my family, friends, and everyone here. I’m going to celebrate this one hard. We’ll pitch up to The Open when we pitch up to The Open.”

 

A pre-scheduled press conference on Monday afternoon will likely be moved, with MacIntyre admitting, “I don’t think I’ll be in a fit state to get to Troon. How do I come down from this? I don’t think I will. I think I’m just going to try to ride the wave. The Open means a lot to me but you’ve got to celebrate the good times because it doesn’t happen a lot and this is the one I said I wanted.”

 

MacIntyre began the day two shots behind Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg, and his challenge seemed to fizzle out as he covered his first 13 holes in one over par. However, a long birdie putt on the 14th hole closed the gap to a shot, though Scott doubled his lead with a birdie on the 16th. Scott, the former world number one, appeared poised to win, especially with MacIntyre driving into heavy rough on the 16th. But after a practice swing, MacIntyre discovered a sprinkler near his ball, allowing him a free drop. He then hit a stunning approach from 247 yards to six feet and calmly rolled in the eagle putt, sealing the win with a birdie on the last hole.

 

Scott, who set the target with a closing 67, carded seven birdies, a double bogey, and two bogeys, narrowly missing out on his first title since the Genesis Invitational in February 2020. Despite the loss, a gracious Scott paid tribute to MacIntyre, saying, “There was a lot of good stuff for me this week. It’s hard to complain about anything. It’s the first time I’ve been in contention this year. I like where my game is headed going into next week. I feel like I’m playing at a high level. Sitting around all morning, I thought I was going to have to shoot like eight under to have a chance, and then it got quite tricky out there. I’m disappointed to not get a crack at the end. I had a chance with the putt on the last – it went right and I read it straight. But I’m pleased for Bob. This is a big win.”

 

Defending champion Rory McIlroy finished in a six-way tie for fourth on 14 under following a closing 68, with Aberg also on the same score after a disappointing 73.