MacIntyre eyes win and a Masters bonus

ROBERT MacIntyre has come a long way in a relatively short time since turning pro three years ago. After three runner-up finishes on his debut season on the European Tour, earning him the prestigious Rookie of the Year award 12 months ago, the 24-year- old from Oban made it across the line for his first victory at the Cyprus Showdown last month.

His success did not come as a surprise to those who have followed his fledgling career with interest, given MacIntyre’s selfbelief, work ethic and ruthless determination to squeeze every last drop from his reservoir of talent.

But one senses that anything less than the world will not be enough to satisfy the cravings of arguably the most exciting talent to emerge on the Scottish golf scene since Colin Montgomerie in the late 1980s. It is a measure of MacIntyre’s relentless progress that he is already up to 59th in the world rankings as he eyes a place in the elite top-50 who automatically qualify for the Masters.

Another big finish at this week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai would go a long way to seeing the powerfully-built Scot realise his dream of striding Augusta’s fairways next April.

But while MacIntyre feels fully primed to mount a challenge at the Jumeirah Golf Estates this week, he was keen to play down talk of an Augusta debut yesterday.

‘A Masters invitation would be a bonus,’ said MacIntyre. ‘I’m just trying to win a golf tournament and whatever comes with that.

‘But I’m in a good place mentally and physically, so why can’t I challenge? We’ll soon find out.’

MacIntyre could conceivably be crowned Europe’s No 1 golfer were he to defy odds of 25/1 after finishing tied 14th on his debut in the $8million event a year ago.

For that scenario to work out, he would also need his principal rivals to fall by the wayside in order of prominence.

He claimed not to have been aware of the possibility after rising to 22nd on the Race to Dubai following three top-10s in Rolex Series events.

But MacIntyre (left) conceded: ‘That’s an added incentive and I’ll take winning the DP World Tour Championship.

‘I’m finally seeing improvements in my game and the tougher test this week suits me when it won’t be a “lights-out” job for four days.

The rough is up and the course is tougher than last year.

‘I’m feeling good and I definitely have more self- confidence after winning.

‘I was always confident in what I could do. It was just a matter of doing it and, to have finally made it across the line, it’s now about trying to win more often.

‘I feel like I’m the same person I was before I won. But, if I am doing anything different, I am stricter with my practice.

‘I’m not faffing about as much. Before I would sit at the course for an hour or so and have a laugh with other players.

‘Now I do my work and then get out of there. The banter can happen later.’