MacIntyre on course for Masters place

Oban golf ace Robert MacIntyre achieved a top five finish at last weekend’s Italian open, edging him closer to a place in the US Masters in April.

MacIntyre’s joint fourth place saw him leap five places, to seventh in the Race to Dubai – the season-long competition to be crowned European number one.

He has also jumped from 99th to 86th in the world rankings, with the top 50 at the end of the year being automatically invited to the Masters in Augusta next spring.

Despite achieving a T4 finish in Rome, the weekend proved frustrating for the 23-year-old left hander, having entered the final round on Sunday just two shots adrift of 54-hole leader Matt Fitzpatrick.

‘Too many lip outs today .... This was the worst of them all,’ he tweeted, along with a video clip of the near miss.

MacIntyre finished his day on a level-par 71, leaving him on 11 under 273 along with Australian Matthias Schwab (66) and Englishman Andrew Johnston (68) as Austrian Bernd Wiesberger breezed through the field, carding a six under 65 to pip Fitzpatrick by a shot to become the first three-time tour winner of the season. American Kurt Kitayama (71) finished third. MacIntyre’s home club Glencruitten, as always, has been keeping a close eye on the youngster’s progress. ‘Congratulations Robert, keep up the good work,’ they posted on soicla media.

Achieving his highest finish in a Rolex Series event, MacIntyre remains on course for the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year title which will be announced in November.