Way for Scots players

Open in 2022 in a play-off against Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick.

Although currently outside the world top 50 who qualify automatically for Augusta, MacIntyre has until early April to book a Masters spot.

But regardless of how his American adventure pans out, MacIntyre has already done much to inject new purpose and belief in Scotland’s golfers.

Although his Italian Open triumph was the last by a Scot on the DP World Tour, there is no shortage of contenders clearly boosted by MacIntyre’s progress.

Fife’s Connor Syme has yet to record a maiden win, but the signs are encouraging.

Back-to-back top tens at the Kenya Open and the

SDC Championship, in South Africa, where he shared seventh and fourth place highlighted a rich vein of form.

Glasgow’s Ewen Ferguson also continues to threaten to build on his remarkable debut season in 2022 when he won the Qatar Masters and ISPS Handa World invitational.

Ferguson failed to replicate that success last season, but a share of 11th at the Dubai Invitational, ninth in Qatar and a joint seventh finish in Kenya confirm he 27-year-old remains highly competitive.

Grant Forrest tied fourth at the Australian Open to offer hope he can add to his maiden success at the Hero Open in 2021 while Calum Hill has been steady rather than spectacular.

And while Scott Jamieson

has yet to add to his single tour win at the Nelson Mandela Championship 12 years ago, his closing 65 at the Qatar Masters to finish third hints at a possible resurgence at the age of 40.

Meanwhile, Glaswegian exile Martin Laird’s equal ninth at the Cognizant Classic suggests the 41-year-old is capable of adding to his four PGA Tour titles.

Glaswegian Ewen Ferguson and North Berwick-based Grant Forrest are on the rise.