Bob MacIntyre opens up on 'hell of a year' and how he aims to get in major mix

Bob MacIntyre has talked about having a “hell of a year” and also how he plans to try and build on being a double PGA Tour winner in 2024 by getting himself in the mix in majors.

The Oban man landed his breakthrough win on the US circuit in the RBC Canadian Open with his dad Dougie caddying for him in June before adding the Genesis Scottish Open a few weeks later at The Renaissance Club.

Bob MacIntyre chats with his coach Simon Shanks and caddie Mike Burrow during the Rolex Pro-Am prior to the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai | Andrew Redington/Getty Images

The title double came after he’d been among ten DP World Tour players to secure PGA Tour cards through last year’s Race to Dubai, which sees MacIntyre sitting ninth heading into this week’s season finale in the DP World Tour Championship.

The 28-year-old broke into the world’s top 20 this year after he’d also played on a winning European Ryder Cup side in Rome towards the end of 2023, with his stature in the game having just grown and grown.

“Yeah, it's been a great year,” admitted MacIntyre as he prepared to fly the Saltire along with Ewen Ferguson and Connor Syme in the $10 million Rolex Series event on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. 

“From this time last year, there's been some lows but probably some better highs. It's been a hell of a year. I probably couldn't have scripted what's happened, to be honest. From the Ryder Cup till now has been an absolute roller coaster.

“I've dreamed of having a season like this but, in reality, you never really think it will happen. But it's probably been a fairytale pretty much all year. It's been a hell of a time.”

MacIntyre will wait until after his debut appearance in next month’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas to have a “full debrief” with his team and his family.

But he admitted: “When I look at my phone, things pop up because I'm scrolling, and it's like, wow, that happened, wow, that happened, and wow, that happened. It is just incredible to think that I've achieved a lot of my dreams in one season, in one swoop, and it's been brilliant. But there's still hopefully more to come.”

MacIntyre will be teeing up in The Masters next April for the first time since 2022 and is also exempt for the other three majors. He has also qualified for the PGA Tour’s Signature Events in 2025, which will significantly boost his hopes of playing in the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black next September.

“It's trying to work out what to do to get to that next page, and it's trying not to lose sight of what's got you here, and not changing, not being like a revolution of your whole game,” he said. 

“It's just about this can improve. Let's try and tweak it a little bit. Don't try and overwrite the whole thing. Stick to the basics and then just tweak little bits to get you to the next level to major championships.”

Meanwhile, David Law had slipped out of a card-winning position before thunderstorms halted play for the day in the fifth round of the DP World Tour Qualifying School Final Stage in Spain.

After starting the day in joint-fourth, the Aberdonian is down to a share of 22nd after covering his opening 16 holes in three over on the Lakes Course at Infinitum Golf in Tarragona, where he will complete his round early on Wednesday morning.

As Italian Edoardo Molinari stayed out in front in the battle to finish in the top 20 and ties, Ryan Lumsden, the other Scot to make the 72-hole cut, dropped nearly spots on the back of a 73.