Bob MacIntyre ready to renew Scottish Open rivalry with 'all singing, all dancing' Rory McIlroy

Bob MacIntyre and Rory McIlroy chat after being paired for the first two rounds of the 2024 Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club | Harry How/Getty Images

Bob MacIntyre is ready to renew his Genesis Scottish Open rivalry with an “all singing, all dancing” Rory McIlroy and hopes another strong display at The Renaissance Club in July can lead to the pair being Ryder Cup team-mates again later this year.

McIlroy, the 2023 winner, and defending champion MacIntyre will be in another stellar field for the $9 million Rolex Series event at the East Lothian venue, where McIlroy will be making his first appearance as the Masters champion and newest career grand slam winner outside of the US and Canada.

Though pipped by a brilliant birdie-birdie finish by McIlroy two years ago before going one better 12 months later as he became the event’s first home winner since Colin Montgomerie in 2009, MacIntyre’s performance was the springboard for a Ryder Cup debut in Rome later that year.

Bob MacIntyre and Rory McIlroy chat after being paired for the first two rounds of the 2024 Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club | Harry How/Getty Images

Just under two years on, the 28-year-old Oban man is in a stronger position in the qualifying battle for this year’s match at Bethpage Black, where man of the moment McIlroy is determined to be part of winning European team on US soil for a second time after being on the successful side at Medinah in 2012.

“Yeah, I'm not worried about it,” said MacIntyre of his hopes of either securing one of six automatic spots or earning a captain’s pick from Luke Donald, who is bidding to join Tony Jacklin as the only European skipper to win home and away matches in the biennial event.

“I've got so many big events. These Signature Events (on the PGA Tour), the majors. If I play good golf, I'll be there. If I don't, I don't deserve to be there. So I can't worry about that side of it.”

In his pre-event press conference ahead of joining forces with Shane Lowry in last week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, McIlroy, who has won three times this season, admitted that a victory against a US side being captained by Keegan Bradley on Long Island was one of his main goals for 2025.

“The Ryder Cup, you've got to have Rory all singing and all dancing,” said MacIntyre with a smile. “The way he's playing golf just now is ideal for him. It's now about building that team below him and the staff around it, go to Bethpage and hopefully win.”

McIlroy became just the sixth player, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to complete a career grand slam when he finally claimed his Green Jacket after surviving a wobble in Amen Corner to beat Justin Rose in a play-off.

“That’s as good as it comes in the game of golf other than passing Tiger’s record and Nicklaus’s record,” said MacIntyre of Woods having won 15 majors and Nicklaus landing 18 of the game’s marquee titles. “The grand slam, he’s been chasing it for years. When I was watching it, it was the highs and lows of golf. He had both in the space of probably six holes.”

Though MacIntyre had missed the cut at Augusta National, he was glued to the final-day’s action. “I was a golf fan, 100 per cent,” he said. “When he went three ahead or whatever it was going into the 11th, I thought: ‘right, no disasters. These few holes and then that’s it done’. It all then unfolded. Once it went to the play-off, it was a shame for Rosey. But it was the history of the game that changed that day when Rory won it.”

Bob MacIntyre shows off the Genesis Scottish Open trophy after his win in the 2024 edition at The Renaissance Club | Andrew Redington/Getty Images

McIlroy showed his class at the end of the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open by offering MacIntyre some words of comfort before the pair then became closer as Ryder Cup team-mates at Marco Simone Golf Club in Italy.

Asked how their relationship had grown, MacIntyre replied with a smile: “I’m not actually sure myself. I just know that it’s more approachable. Even last week (at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans), I haven’t seen him since (The Masters) and he was in the Players’ Lounge one of the days when I congratulated him. But then I just got out of the way. He’s doing his own stuff, I do my own stuff, but what an achievement. I couldn’t be happier for the guy.”

MacIntyre was probably the happiest man on the planet when he holed a 22-foot birdie putt on the final green to claim his Genesis Scottish Open title, which came hot on the heels of a breakthrough win in the RBC Canadian Open with his dad Dougie caddying for him.

“As everyone knew, it was a lifetime dream,” he stressed, speaking on a video call from Nashville, where he is taking some time off before starting his build up to season’s second major, the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

“You never know if it's ever going to happen. Obviously the heartbreak the year before with Rory, you think that was potentially your only chance. But to have the same chance the next year was incredible. And to finally get over the line was literally a dream.”

Last year’s field on Scotland’s Golf Coast was officially the fifth strongest in golf in 2024, with McIlroy and MacIntyre, as well as Rose, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Max Homa and Ben An all having been confirmed for this year’s edition and more big-name announcements to come.

Bob MacIntyre celebrates holing his title-winning 22-foot birdie putt at The Renaissance Club | Harry How/Getty Images

“It's brilliant,” said MacIntyre. “The field that we get every year is top drawer. It's as good as we get outside the majors. As a Scot, you're going there trying to win your home open and, thankfully, I've got that now. It's about adding to that and trying to defend it this year.”

Has the weight been lifted off his shoulders in that respect? “I think my priority changes,” he declared. “When I pitched up at the Scottish Open, it was all about winning the Scottish Open. Whereas now I feel like I've got that, so now I can look at the week later at The Open, taking nothing away from the Scottish Open, but I can almost prepare better for The Open because the monkey's off my back.”