Home victory would mean ‘everything’ to Macintyre
The world’s best golfers descend on East Lothian this week for the Genesis Scottish Open.
Newly co- sanctioned with the PGA Tour, the Dpworld Tour’s Rolex Series event at the Renaissance Club delivers an $ 8 million purse – plus a Tour exemption for the victor across the pond.
Raising the profile of the event means it is now far more than just a curtain-raiser for The Open Championship that traditionally follows.
With the advent of the LIV Golf series, both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour will be hoping for big things after their strategic alliance to tackle the threat of the Saudi-funded rebel Tour.
The winners of the opening three Majors of the year, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas and Matt Fitzpatrick will be teeing it up, along with reigning Open Champion, Collin Morikawa, and fellow Major winners, Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama and Jordan Speith.
But, for the home players, just what does their Open mean to them?
“Absolutely everything,” is the definitive answer from Scotland’s No. 1, Bob Macintyre. “As a Scot, outside of the Majors, it is the biggest tournament you can play.
“It is the one that you want to win.”
The 25- year- old from Oban narrowly missed out on securing a PGA Tour card last season, and if he could secure victory at North Berwick, that would deliver his ticket Stateside, something he is excited about.
“With the Scottish Open now also being a co-sanctioned event, it is absolutely massive, and that has accelerated the event to the next level,” said Macintyre.
“I think to have the best players in the world playing in Scotland, t h e wee k b e fo re T he Ope n Championship, there is nothing really better for us.
“Plus it is giving the guys on the DP World Tour the opportunity to pick up a PGA Tour card, and the chance to play the biggest events in the world.
“That has been my goal for the last couple of years. Last year I came up just a little bit short. But this year, having the Scottish Open as an added event could be a real chance for me to achieve that.
“It would be different if it was a parkland course, where it is the same for everyone. But links golf is a completely different animal, so it is great for me to have the opportunity that it affords.”
Scottish golf has been in a pretty good place as of late, something Bob is quick to recognise.
“It has been absolutely brilliant,” said the man who won his first DP World Tour title in Cyprus in November, 2020.
“Things have been great since I first came out on the Challenge Tour, in 2018. There were four of us Scots that would travel together – me, Jack Macdonald, Ewen
Ferguson and Callum Hil. You can also throw in Grant Forrest, Liam Johnston and David Law to that.”
Macintyre was the youngest of the group, but he is brutally honest when asked if the band of Scots looked after their junior member.
“No!” is the emphatic answer backed up by laughter.
“Everywhere we go, the Scots stick together. They are a great group of guys. But when Davie Law and Liam won on the Challenge
Tour, that promoted a bit of jealousy, if you like, a feeling of ‘I want a bit of that’.
“It was the same when we got to the European Tour. Davie won down in Australia, and it spurred me on a bit and I got my win in Cyprus. Since then, Grant, Callum and Ewen have all won.
“It has been an absolutely unbelievable run over the past couple of years, and let’s hope it continues.”