Belfry bogeys derail Bob MacIntyre’s British Masters bid

Robert MacIntyre’s inconsistent start to the season continued at the Betfred British Masters at the weekend when he finished down the field in a tie for 36th place, eight shots behind eventual winner Thorbjørn Oleson of Denmark.

Played at the iconic Belfry Course, scene of many epic Ryder Cup battles in the past, Bob got off to a sluggish start on the Thursday posting a two over par round of 74 which left him in real danger of missing the cut. A level par front nine on Friday did little to alleviate the possibility of the Oban star having the weekend off before an unbelievable run of five birdies in his final six holes saw him card a hugely impressive 67 to not only make the cut, but keep him very much in contention for the tournament.

Unfortunately any chance of building on Friday’s momentum disappeared at the beginning of Saturday’s back nine which saw Bob follow up a double-bogey at the 10th with a horrible triple-bogey at the next hole. Those five dropped shots effectively killed off any lingering hopes of mounting a serious title bid and Bob would eventually sign for a disappointing four over par 76 leaving him well off the pace going into the final round.

Under the circumstances, a final day 69 was an excellent showing on Sunday given the disappointment of the previous day and will hopefully build the left-handers confidence ahead of his next tilt at a major championship which sees him head off to the United States for the US PGA Championship which begins on Thursday May 19 at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa. A solid performance in Oklahoma will see him begin to climb the world rankings again after he slipped to 79th after his most recent outing.

Away from the course, Robert also made clear his intention to continue to support the DP World Tour and dismissed any thoughts of joining the controversial Saudi-backed LIV invitational series.

Speaking before the British Masters began, Bob did not mince his words, saying: ‘It’s obscene money to throw at sport. There’s only so much money a human needs. Right now I’m comfortable. I’ve got a house, my family is healthy. I’ve got a car I can drive. I’ve got clothes I can put on and I can still treat myself and my family. What more do I need?’

It is that level-headed maturity that will no doubt see the Oban man return to the consistent form of which we all know he is capable.