Robert MacIntyre sealed a memorable victory at the Scottish Open, becoming the first Scotsman to win on home soil for 25 years.
Robert MacIntyre won the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club, but it was his Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Aberg who entered the final round with a two-shot lead over the chasing pack. Åberg went into the final round on -17, with MacIntyre on -15 and Adam Scott on -14.
However, the in-from Swede faltered in the final round, finishing the day on -14. He shot three bogeys in his final eight holes, leaving room for some of the chasing pack.
There were some who made up huge amounts of ground, with Wyndham Clark scoring a bogey-free 62 to finish his round on eight-under-par, one shot behind Åberg in the tournament.
Other chasers Aaron Rai and Richard Mansell shot impressive scores, with both Englishmen gaining qualification to The Open. However, it was MacIntyre and Scott who would be vying for the trophy.
Robert MacIntyre vs Adam Scott
It wasn’t an electric start to the front nine for either MacIntyre or Scott, with MacIntyre on even par and Scott one under par, but the back nine is where things really kicked into gear.
For MacIntyre, it was a 20-foot birdie putt across the 14th green that sparked his trophy challenge, lifting the North Berwick crowd which seemed to galvanize the Scotsman.
The Australian Scott chipped away at Åberg’s lead, who also putted for a birdie on the 14th hole, keeping his newly-established lead intact. Scott moved into a more established lead on the 16th with another birdie, two shots clear of MacIntyre.
Scott, a former world number one looked a certainty to win the Scottish Open from this point, but his experience was counteracted by a moment of magic and madness.
MacIntyre fired his tee shot into the heavy rough on the 16th, but discovered a sprinkler by his ball, allowing him a free drop. And MacIntyre duly capitalized.
His magnificent approach shot led to an eagle, and a birdie on the last hole led to scenes of jubilation, and he became the first home title winner since Colin Montgomerie at Loch Lomond in 1999.
Can Robert MacIntyre win The Open?
MacIntyre will look to take this form into The Open, and the 27-year-old could now become one of the favorites for this year’s final major.
In terms of MacIntyre’s record in the majors this year, he failed to make the cut in the U.S. Open but did so in The Masters and PGA Championship.
He shot three-over-par for a tie of 23rd place at Augusta, but fared much better at Valhalla, finishing in a tie for eighth place.
The Scot has competed at The Open four times, making his debut appearance at Royal Portrush in 2019. This was also his best Open tournament finish, where he tied for sixth place.
This was followed by a tie for eighth at Royal St George’s in 2021, but MacIntyre has come nowhere near the top in the last two editions.
In the last year, MacIntyre has shown that he can thrive under pressure, going unbeaten in the Ryder Cup last year with two wins and a draw.
He has now avenged his Scottish Open loss to Rory McIlroy last year, who was ‘seriously frustrated’ during this year’s trophy defense, and with this momentum, it could be ‘Bobby Mac’s’ year to lift a major.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
