Bob Macintyre Archives - Golf Digest Middle East https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tag/bob-macintyre/ Golf Instruction, Equipment, Courses, Travel, News Mon, 12 Dec 2022 10:37:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/gd-favicon.ico Bob Macintyre Archives - Golf Digest Middle East https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tag/bob-macintyre/ 32 32 MacIntyre hails MENA Tour after his rise and rise to European Tour Rookie-of-the-Year https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/macintyre-hails-mena-tour-after-his-rise-and-rise-to-european-tour-rookie-of-the-year/ https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/macintyre-hails-mena-tour-after-his-rise-and-rise-to-european-tour-rookie-of-the-year/#respond Sun, 24 Nov 2019 12:03:56 +0000 https://golfdigestme.com/?p=30948 Robert MacIntyre has lauded the MENA Tour, saying his brief stint on the regional circuit proved the perfect launch pad to his dream rookie season on the European Tour.

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Robert MacIntyre has lauded the MENA Tour, saying his brief stint on the regional circuit proved the perfect launch pad to his dream debut season on the European Tour.

The 23-year-old Scotsman, who memorably finished T-6 in his Open Championship debut at Royal Portrush in July, wrapped up the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie-of-the-Year title honours with a share of 14th place at the DP World Tour Championship on Sunday.

He also claimed the top Challenge Tour graduate prize to continue an incredible rise that began with him winning the MENA Tour’s 2017 Sahara Kuwait Open in just his second start as a professional before graduating to the big league as a top-15 finisher on last season’s Challenge Tour.

MacIntyre revealed on Sunday how he turned down an invite to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship just after playing in the Walker Cup in 2017, believing he was better served continuing his amateur apprenticeship in the Middle East.

The humble lad from Oban then made an 11th-hour decision to turn professional just before he headed out to the Middle East for the Ayla Golf Championship in Jordan in early October where he finished T-3 courtesy of a closing 64, not bad after a first professional round of 78. A week later he had scooped $9000 for his pro breakthrough at Sahara Golf & Country Club, vindicating the decision to turn professional.

Bob, as MacIntyre prefers to be called, took up the story in the DPWTC media room after being presented his trophies by European Tour chief Keith Pelley.

“Well, it was actually my manager, Iain Stoddart, when we finished the Walker Cup, that normally opens an opportunity to play in the Dunhill Links, coming from Scotland,” MacIntyre started.

“So I was just trying to prepare as best as I could for Tour School and I was going to go out to the MENA Tour. Iain set up to go out to the MENA Tour as an amateur and I said no to the Dunhill. I felt like that wasn’t best way for me to prepare for Tour School.

“So we decided to go to the MENA Tour. Then one random day, I just phoned up Iain and goes, ‘What’s the point of going out there as an amateur when we can go out there as a pro and make some money.’ So that’s what we done. Iain sorted it out. Obviously finished third and won my second start.

“That [The MENA Tour by Arena] prepared me exactly for what I was trying to do, and it done the job that I was trying to do, be fully prepared for Tour School, and I managed to get through Tour School, second and third stage. It’s been nonstop since then, and here we are.”

Here we are indeed. Not that it has been all plain sailing on the European Tour this season despite what has seemed a breeze to finish a creditable 11th in the final Race to Dubai scrub up.

What would you say was the breakthrough week or moment for you this year that convinced you to go on to do what you did?

“There’s only one week. That was the week off between Morocco and British Masters. We pulled out of the China event on the Friday prior to it. We were in Morocco, missed the cut. I wasn’t enjoying golf. Everyone knows I wasn’t enjoying golf and everyone on my team — I didn’t even want to be playing golf, if I’m honest with you, that week.

“So took the week off. Went and played some Shinty, and then that made me realise what life was about. It was an away game on the bus with the boys enjoying ourselves and made me realise that the job I’m doing isn’t a job. You’re doing it because you enjoy it, and that’s the mind-set I’ve had for the last 17 events and has made me realise, don’t find it a chore. Go and enjoy it every week, every day, and that’s what I’ve done. Here we are.”

Sadly in golf, the kudos comes and goes pretty quickly. And so, onto 2020. After going so close to a maiden victory twice this season, at the Made in Denmark in May and the European Open in September, what’s the goal?

“I’ve been shooting at the Top-50 in the world for the last four or five weeks. We’ve fallen just short, but the season’s opened up doors for me. It’s opened up WGC events. I was going to be playing another few events this year if I was in the position that I’ve actually found myself in, but I’m calling it a day this year. I’ve played enough golf.

“Next year, if I keep continuing to do what I’m doing on the golf course, then in my own head, it’s a matter of time.”

 

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]]> https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/macintyre-hails-mena-tour-after-his-rise-and-rise-to-european-tour-rookie-of-the-year/feed/ 0 Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger helps cap a European Tour milestone with his latest down-to-the-wire win https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/austrias-bernd-wiesberger-helps-cap-a-european-tour-milestone-with-his-latest-down-to-the-wire-win/ https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/austrias-bernd-wiesberger-helps-cap-a-european-tour-milestone-with-his-latest-down-to-the-wire-win/#respond Mon, 27 May 2019 03:53:17 +0000 https://golfdigestme.com/?p=26617 At the end of a near-epic back-and-forth battle between Bernd Wiesberger and Bob Macintyre, the €500,000 cheque is headed to Austria rather than Scotland.

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Bernd Wiesberger celebrates with the trophy following his victory at the 2019 Made in Denmark.

By John Huggan
In the final round of every tournament, there’s nearly always a turning point, a moment when the winning and losing becomes clear. Occasionally though, there is more than one of those crucial crossroads. And this time there were as many as five before the destination of the Made in Denmark title over the Backtee course at the Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort was decided.

At the end of a near-epic back-and-forth battle between Bernd Wiesberger and Bob Macintyre, the €500,000 cheque is headed to Austria rather than Scotland. But what a contest it was, for 16 holes at least. On a day that began with Wiesberger one-shot clear of his playing partner, he made seven birdies and an eagle as he shot a final-round 66 that was only just good enough to bring him a fifth European Tour victory.

Having already seen multiple-shot swings in either direction at the fourth hole (three shots to Macintyre), 11th (two shots to Wiesberger) and 13th (two shots to Macintyre), the destination of the first-place goodies appeared to be coming down to the tee shot that Macintyre fired out-of-bounds way left of the penultimate fairway. Even then, the lefty wasn’t done. He made birdie with his second ball for a bogey-5 to keep the gap between the pair down to two shots.

And there’s more. Wiesberger found the water right of the final fairway and was forced to take a penalty drop. On in three after hitting a 220-yard 7-iron onto the putting surface on the par-4 home hole, the Austrian two-putted for the required bogey once Macintyre only just missed from 30 feet for birdie. Finally, it was over.

Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Wiesberger earned his fifth career European Tour title and became the 50th player on the European Tour to win more than €50 million.

“I’m speechless,” said Wiesberger, who missed seven months of last season following wrist surgery but is now the 50th player to win more than €50 million on the European Tour. “I’m so thankful to everyone who helped me last year. I’m proud to pay them back. It’s been a great week. Winning is never easy. … For me, this is a special victory. I didn’t expect to win this soon. I had a rough time last year. But I’ve worked hard and it is nice to see it paying off.”

Victory would have been a notable step-up for the amiable Macintyre, too. But he is still having notable season. Now up to 12th place on the Race to Dubai in his rookie season, the 22-year-old from Oban on the west coast of Scotland is well on his way to becoming the star the home of golf has been looking for since the best days of Colin Montgomerie.

“I thought I gave it everything I had,” he said. “I had a great feeling with my putter all day. But that poor tee-shot on 17 really cost me. I’d just hit two bad wedge shots on the previous holes and didn’t want to leave myself another once from 100 yards or so. It was the worst swing I’d put on a shot in a long time.

“I still had a chance but Bernd played great all day, I’m proud of how I performed though. I’m young and I’ll learn from this. It’s golf. Today wasn’t quite my day. I’ve just got to keep knocking on the door.”

For the record, defending champion Matt Wallace—not so fresh from his T-3 finish at last week’s PGA Championship—showed obvious signs of fatigue en route to a T-41 finish. After a bright start, the 29-year-old Englishman shot 73-74 on days two and three as the jet-lag kicked in.

 

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