MacIntyre talks about his first year as a pro golfer
What a year it has been for Oban golfing sensation Robert MacIntyre.
In his rookie season as a professional golfer, the 22-year-old finished second in the Foshan Open, secured a European Tour card, and played with some of the game’s greats.
And following a second top-15 finish in the European Tour, the left-handed player went into the festive break sitting in the top 30 in the Race to Dubai rankings, with a $1.25 million bonus going to the player who finishes first at the end of the season.
‘I always wanted to get to the European Tour,’ MacIntyre told The Oban Times. ‘But I didn’t honestly expect it to happen in the first year.
‘I knew I had a chance [to get a European Tour card]. As long as I stayed in the top 45, I knew if I had one big result in the last four events then I would be close, but for it to be on that event, that’s why the emotion came out over that long putt at the Foshan Open.
‘Once that went in, it wasn’t just the emotion of taking the lead or getting into a play-off, it was the emotion of what I had almost achieved.’
December was a massive month for MacIntyre, who secured two top 15 finishes, winning more than £31,000 in the process.
‘The money is a reward at the end of it, that’s the way I try and see it,’ he said. ‘There’s going to be a time where I am in with a chance to win, a real chance coming down the last six or seven holes and for the first time it is going to be seriously nerve-racking because all you are going to be thinking about is what is on the line.’
On his travels, MacIntyre has been paired twice with South African legend Ernie Els, and on both occasions, the Oban man matched the four-time major winner.
‘The first tee shot with Ernie I could hardly tee the ball up,’ he said. ‘I put it down the middle, but it was seriously nerve-racking. To get the ball actually going forward was an achievement.’
But once he got going, McIntyre held his own, which instilled confidence into the Glencruitten golfer.
Regardless of where the 22-year-old is in the world, he is never far away from the thoughts of friends, family, and the Oban community, especially those involved with Glencrutiten Golf Club, where MacIntyre learned his trade.
In order to maintain his European Tour card for next season, MacIntyre will need to finish in the top 110 in the Race to Dubai series.
After a handful of events, the Oban golfer is sitting 29th on the back of his two top 15 finishes.