Robert MacIntyre’s fantastic year continued on Sunday, with the Scot following Ryder Cup glory by winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship by four shots.
It is a surprise to think that Robert MacIntyre had not won on either the PGA Tour or DP World Tour in 2025 heading into the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. MacIntyre has undoubtedly elevated his game to another level since his Ryder Cup debut in 2023.
The world number nine qualified automatically for Bethpage after finishing second at the US Open and registering another top 10 at The Open Championship.
He went on to win 1.5 points from three outings in New York, with his tied match with Sam Burns on Sunday ensuring that the event finished 15-13 in Europe’s favour.
Why Robert MacIntyre was surprised to contend at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
MacIntyre was one of a handful of Luke Donald‘s side who made a swift return to action. And it proved to be another triumphant week for the 29-year-old, as he won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
He posted three rounds of 66 across the trio of iconic courses, making just one bogey in each round of the shortened tournament.
His performance was all the more impressive because, by MacIntyre’s own admission, he did not do anywhere near his usual amount of work to get ready for a tournament.
“To be honest, I don’t know,” he said, when asked where his energy came from. “I had a laugh when we were driving the buggy back down to the clubhouse. I’ve done everything against the book this week, from preparation, I pitched up Wednesday afternoon. I know the golf courses. Played 12 holes on Wednesday. The diet has not been good this week; I can confirm that. I’ve eaten plenty of takeaways, fish and chips, plenty of others.
“But yeah, sometimes when you are least expecting it things happen. As you say, when I won in Canada, everything that I wanted to do, I didn’t do. Yeah, here we are this week.”
How Robert MacIntyre thrived despite the conditions on three of Scotland’s most iconic courses
The conditions throughout the tournament were far from optimal. Of course, the event had to be shortened to 54 holes due to the adverse weather on Saturday.
So the fact that MacIntyre dropped just three shots all week is a phenomenal achievement. Perhaps it was no surprise that one of those bogeys came on 17 at St Andrews, given MacIntyre’s previous frustrations with the hole.
But he outlined what is so important when trying to play well around the Old Course, as well as Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.
“Yeah, it’s just the biggest thing is being able to get over the golf ball and not be scared. The biggest thing on the three golf courses is to stay out of the pot bunkers, especially off the tee. And I’ve done that well, apart from the first hole at Carnoustie the first day,” he added.
“Other than that, I thought I managed it well, stayed out of the pot bunkers. But then once you’re in position, it’s about controlling the golf ball to then land softly around the pins when you get a chance, and I thought I did a great job of that.”
The Ryder Cup provided a brilliant opportunity to note how far MacIntyre had come. It is surely fair to say that the occasion seemed to get him in his first match alongside Justin Rose in Rome in 2023.
But since then, he has won both the Canadian and the Scottish Opens. And he has registered top 10 finishes at three of the four majors.
With Donald putting his faith in MacIntyre to play foursomes in New York, and the left-hander following that by winning upon his return to Scotland, it should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone if MacIntyre manages to take that final step in 2026.
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