Mum will be my secret weapon at US Open... she’s coming to do the cooking!
BEING part of a close-knit extended family makes the whole experience just that bit easier in many ways. But it also emphasises just how much we’re all missing.
For Robert MacIntyre, a 24-year-old with the world of golf at his feet, life remains one great big adventure.
Even if taking his mum — and her sticky toffee pudding — along for moral and culinary support does dent the whole ‘swashbuckling conqueror of uncharted territory’ image a bit.
Still, the lad from Oban is definitely putting in the miles and hours to make a name for himself, with this week’s US Open debut at Winged Foot a case in point.
And the knock-on effect from meeting the different ‘bubble’ demands of the European and PGA Tours is forcing the young Scot to make some very tough off-course choices.
‘Just now, I’m worried about folk coming into the house,’ said MacIntyre, who still lives at home with parents Carol and Dougie.
‘I don’t venture out anywhere just now. If I catch this thing, it’s not just me that’s going to get affected.
‘It’s the knock-on effect it’s going to have on older people within my family. I have not seen my papa, who I used to go and sit and chat with all the time, for 20 weeks, I would say.
‘He’s in his mid-80s, he loves a good chit-chat — but I don’t want to go and risk what’s going on for us to see each other.
‘I can wave to him out the window but, other than that, it’s about staying safe. I think the best place for me to stay safe just now is right here in the house in Oban.
‘My papa lives just down the road. Everyone else has been to see him. But I just don’t know what I’m carrying. Obviously, I’m getting tested every week for it, but I just don’t feel like it’s the right thing for me to do.’
As he jokes about the likelihood of his grandfather, also called Dougie, hanging out of the window ‘celebrating with a rum and Coke’ should he return to Oban carrying the US Open trophy in his hand luggage, it’s worth noting that MacIntyre’s chief concern is for others.
Yet his own physical and mental health must be considered. If professional golfers are hardly likely to be afforded much sympathy by ordinary working stiffs, the European Tour restrictions for tournament regulars do not sound like a lot of fun.
‘I’m not coping with it great, if I’m being honest,’ he confessed. ‘Others are struggling worse than me. You are seeing there are more withdrawals mid-round just now than ever. It’s just getting too much for some guys.
‘We are lucky enough to still be playing competitive golf — and for us to do that we’ve got to have strict things in place. I’m afraid I can’t see it moving for a wee while.
‘In Europe, it’s you and the caddie — you are out there on your own and you can’t really mingle with other players.
‘Out in the States, it’s a bit more free. I’ve got my caddie, coach and my mum coming out to Winged Foot. My mum is going to do the cooking and keep everything in check.’
Having Carol travel as part of the team, even if she’s not allowed anywhere near the course, will definitely be a bonus.
MacIntyre laughed as he revealed that he’s already put in special requests for sweet treats. ‘The sticky toffee pudding and banoffee pie is on the menu. We have it all.
‘She understands she might not be able to get in (to the tournament) and she’s totally fine with that. She’s trying to keep everything so that, when I finish my round, I’m not panicking about how we’re getting dinner.’
‘I’m not the greatest at cooking, while (coach) Davie Burns can hardly work a microwave, let alone cook. I was the man to do the cooking at the PGA Championship. Just basics. Home-made chips is the speciality just now. That came from my sister — she taught me how to do that.’
Among Scottish golf fans, of course, the very mention of this week’s course-and-tournament combination causes a slight flipping sensation in the stomach.
Colin Montgomerie’s 72nd-hole collapse in the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot remains a baffling moment in sport.
No matter how often you rewatch Monty’s famous approach shot to the last, you’re convinced that — this time — he’s going to play his favourite accurate fade to within four feet of the flag. Instead of, well…
MacIntyre revealed: ‘I’d never seen — how do you put it? — the video of Monty’s final hole in 2006 until recently.
‘We were talking about it at Valderrama, so I decided to watch it when I got home. I did and watched it all unfold.
‘It was just something I wanted to see. I had heard about deciding what club to play. But he put himself in that position where he had the chance to win a major.
‘You get one shot at it — and unfortunately it was probably one of the worst shots he has ever hit. That’s just part of the game.
‘Who knows? I could go down that stretch and hit the same shot as him. Hopefully not, but it’s going to happen to someone.
‘It’s part of the game and it’s why we love the game. It throws up so many different scenarios and outcomes — and it drives you mental sometimes as well.
‘I didn’t expect us to be playing golf this year, if I’m being honest. We are not in a good place just now with Covid going on all across the world.
‘It’s just about respecting that and trying to keep me, my team and my family safe. I’m playing golf because I love to play golf.
‘Luckily enough it’s my job. Outside of that, life is more important than putting myself in danger and putting others at risk.’