BOB: SCOTTISH OPEN IS LIKE A FIFTH MAJOR
ROBERT MacINTYRE reckons the Genesis Scottish Open is his fifth Major and now among the top 10 events in world golf.
The Oban ace will spearhead the home challenge in the spectacular summer event at The Renaissance Club.
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is the latest to commit to the July showpiece with the world No.1 heading to East Lothian to join an all-star cast for the third Rolex Series event of the season.
MacIntyre reckons the status of the Scottish Open is rocketing with players such as Scheffler joining fellow Major winners and American Ryder Cup team-mates Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
He said: “Outside of the Majors, the Scottish Open is the one.
“As a Scot, it’s the one you want to win. With the standard of the field and everything that comes with it then it would mean absolutely everything.
“For me it’s the fifth Major. It’s brilliant for the DP World Tour and PGA Tour to have such a big sponsor. The event Genesis sponsors in America is massive at Riviera, hopefully this one can be as big.
“I’ve only played a couple of Scottish Opens and one was during Covid. But the level it is going towards is out of this world.
“The first event I played was big but now it has more top players and it’s definitely elevated it to another level. It’s comfortably in the top 10 standard-wise and now it’s being staged through the joint alliance between the tours.
“It sits in a perfect position on the schedule and with all these big players coming, I don’t think there’s many bigger tournaments outside the Majors.”
MacIntyre made his debut at the event in 2019 grouped with Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler. He said: “It was unbelievable. I remember teeing it up and thinking, ‘Just make contact with this thing.’
“I was so nervous. I’d never met these guys, never mind played with them. But once I got playing I realised they were just two normal guys.
“To this day I walk into a locker room and mine and Rory’s lockers are often near each other because of our surnames.
“I chat to him most weeks when he and I are playing. One of the best tips from Rory was when we were in the locker room at Riviera with Peter Malnati.
“Peter said: ‘I wish I was one of the big boys.’ Rory turned to him and said, ‘There’s nothing stopping anyone being a top golfer.’”
Scheffler is delighted to be heading to Scotland’s east coast after tying 12th last year. He said: “I’d heard a lot about the event and the Rolex Series before I played the first time and it lived up to it.
“A lot’s happened for me since then and I hope to keep that good feeling going over the summer.”