It’s not a bad start towards selection!
MacIntyre takes giant step on Ryder road to Rome
ROBERT MacIntyre knows Rome wasn’t built in a day. But he hopes he can conquer it in one year’s time.
The new Italian Open champion is determined to be on the special charter flight to the Eternal City for the hosting of the 44th Ryder Cup.
MacIntyre has moved into third place on the European Ryder Cup team points table following his dramatic play-off victory over US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick on the host Marco Simone course.
MacIntyre holed out for a winning birdie to Fitzpatrick’s par to collect the €500,000 first prize and not only jump 58 spots to 15th on the Race to Dubai money list but into third behind Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy on the 2023 European Ryder Cup qualifying points list.
This time last year, team captain Pádraig Harringtonove (inset) rlooked the form of the Scot in favour of the experience of Ian Poulter as a captain’s pick.
Hapless
MacIntyre had finished a mere .01 of a point in qualifying ahead of Poulter, who played in three Whistling Straits matches, winning one of only three singles matches for Harrington’s hapless and outgunned side. And while MacIntyre was always striving to break into the upperend of the points table a year ago, his win at the weekend now has him pushing hard to get into Luke Donald’s side.
MacIntyre said: “It’s not a bad start towards selection. The qualifying points started at Wentworth, so heading to Italy, I didn’t play the course last year and I didn’t know what to expect.
“I played in the practice round, the rough was thick and I was thinking, ‘How am I getting around this place?’ I wasn’t driving it well.
“But I worked on a lot of things, thanks to my new coach, and it worked. I just have to trust it.
“Thankfully, I felt so much in control of the ball until the 14th.
“My wedge shot on 14 was the first time I was uncomfortable, but the course tests you from the first hole to the last.
Goal
“I’ve now got one goal for the remainder of this season, and for the next year, and that’s to be on that Ryder Cup team coming here to Rome.
“There is still a long way to go and I’ve started off in perfect fashion. I can’t think of a better way to make the Ryder Cup team than to start by winning on the host course.
“Now I’m going to go celebrate with friends and family. This one is special.”