By Mathieu Wood
Everything and nothing has changed for Robert MacIntyre.
While he can now call himself a PGA TOUR winner, following his stirring victory at the RBC Canadian Open last week with his father Dougie on his bag, the increased scrutiny that comes with it won’t alter his make-up as a person.
After opting to head back home to Oban, Scotland, rather than head straight from the highs of the biggest win of his life to the Memorial Tournament, he returns to action this week for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
Who could really argue with his decision? Since earning PGA TOUR dual membership status last year through a consistent campaign on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai Rankings, the 27-year-old has openly spoken about feeling homesick while in the United States.
Factor in that he had played six tournaments in a row, and that a recent return to his homeland had preceded a run of form that led to his momentous triumph at Hamilton Golf & Country Club, time back with his family and closest friends might be the best stimulus for him to mount a title bid on a Major Championship stage.
That’s the hope, at least.
"It's a massive event, but for me, you have got to treat it as another golf tournament," he told reporters during a media roundtable organised following his return back to Scotland.
"I've been working hard on the mental side of the game and trying to let the outcome be the outcome and not (specifically) try to go out and win golf tournaments. Try and do everything that you can do that will lead to winning golf tournaments, which I've done last week.
"My job is to go out there and play golf, try and get into a position coming into the Sunday. Who knows how the cards fall."
MacIntyre's record at the Majors
| Tournament | Appearances | Best finish |
|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 2 | T12 (2020) |
| U.S. PGA Championship | 5 | T8 (2024) |
| U.S. Open | 2 | T35 (2021) |
| The Open Championship | 4 | T6 (2019) |
MacIntyre, whose victory in Canada lifted him to a career-high 39 in the Official World Golf Ranking, will undoubtedly be in the the spotlight this week, from fellow players, fans and the media alike.
A two-time winner on the DP World Tour, he is happy to just embrace that fact.
“I'm sure when I turn up, there'll be a fair few people from the Tour saying congratulations,” he said.
“Some of the players too, and it's nice to get the recognition, but I'm going to turn up and try and do my job as best I can, like I do every week.”
This is a player for the big occasion, after all, so we shouldn't really have any doubts in his chances of contending at one of golf's elite events.
His Ryder Cup debut last year is testament to that. In the scorching heat at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, he went unbeaten with two and a half points as Team Europe regained the trophy.
Add to that, it was only a few weeks or so ago that he registered his third top ten at a Major in the US PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, holing an eagle putt from distance on the last hole to round off his week in style.
Having gone into the final round three shots off the lead, it was another experience to add to the memory bank for future title tilts at this top level of the sport.
"I learnt so much on that Sunday especially," he reflected.
"I stayed in the fight. I was getting annoyed, but I didn't change the process of what I was doing, the game plan, and then I got my reward on the 18th and it was massive.
"It's just amazing for me, especially to see how quickly the game of golf can change, and it's just about staying as calm as you can.
"There are going to be golf tournaments in the near future, and the long term future, that I'm going to go mental at because we're humans and we're not perfect all the time, but it's about recognising that you're maybe falling off the path of staying calm and getting yourself back on there as quick as you can."
While expectations surrounding him may have risen, MacIntyre will continue to approach his golf with the mindset that has rewarded him in recent times as he looks to continue riding his wave of momentum.
