MacIntyre is a man on a mission at the Masters

ROBERT MacIntyre believes he’s earned the right to mark his Masters debut by trading punches with the world’s best. And the young Scot insists he won’t be heading to Augusta National just to soak up the atmosphere and make up the numbers. MacIntyre received confirmation yesterday that his place in the world’s top 50 had secured his spot at the first major of the season. He came agonisingly close to earning an invitation to play in the Masters as an amateur. But the 24-year-old believes that near miss, following his 2&1 loss to Scott Gregory in the 2016 British Amateur final, may prove a blessing a disguise. Admitting that watching Gregory cross the Atlantic to take part in the 2017 tournament had given him extra motivation, MacIntyre said: ‘Yeah, that is a driving force. When you miss that

opportunity, you think you’re never going to get that chance again. But I put everything in place to go and achieve it from the get-go when I started out as a professional golfer. ‘As an amateur, you are there to learn and enjoy the experience, not compete. Whereas I’m going there as a professional golfer, well within my rights to be in there trading punches at the business end of the tournament. ‘It’s been my dream and it’s become a reality now. I just need to go and try to achieve it. ‘If I can play well, who knows what can happen by the end of the week? At the end of the day, it’s going to be another golf tournament I’m trying to win. ‘It’s not like I’m going to just make the cut or whatever. You’re still in the mentality of going there to win and put yourself in position to do so. It’s a dream becoming a reality — and, hopefully, this isn’t the only one.’ MacIntyre, who marked his major debut by finishing sixth in the 2019 Open Championship, effectively clinched his spot at Augusta by reaching the knockout stage at last week’s WGC Match Play event in Austin — eliminating world No1 Dustin Johnson from his group in the process. ‘What I learned is that I can stand with these guys,’ he said of his experience in Texas. ‘Not that I can go there, make up the numbers, try to make a good pay cheque. ‘I feel as though I can compete. I’ve got all the shots to allow me to compete against these guys.’ The man from Oban will focus on keeping his emotions in check when he pitches up at one of the most famous venues in sport. ‘It’s been a long time I’ve had it in my sights,’ he said, via an early-morning Zoom call from the States. ‘It’s just the emotions you’ve got to keep in tow.’