Bob MacIntyre learned 'massive lesson' for US Open in last major round

Bob MacIntyre and his caddie, Mike Burrow, prepare for a shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

He’d already enjoyed some satisfying major moments, including back-to-back top-ten finishes in The Open and two promising performances in The Masters. But, as he heads into this week’s US Open, it will be his most recent round in one of golf’s marquee events that will give Bob MacIntyre the most belief that he can put himself in the major mix again and again.

It didn’t pan out exactly how the Scot had wanted in the final round after being in contention at the 54-hole stage of last month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla, but it was possibly the grittiest effort of his career to date. Having dug in after slipping down the leaderboard, an eagle to finish gave him a share of eighth spot behind Xander Schauffele as the American made his major breakthrough.

“Yeah, it was good,” admitted MacIntyre, reflecting on that last-day performance, which, on reflection, probably had cause to be more satisfying than finishing joint-sixth on his major debut in The Open at Royal Portrush and also a tie for eighth in the same event at Royal St George’s two years later.

“I mean, obviously going into Sunday, a lot of things had to happen for me to win that tournament. “When you look back at it now, like, lay it all out, I needed a 61 on Sunday maybe even to get a play-off. And no-one has ever shot 61 in a major. The odds were stacked against me, but I learned so much on the Sunday, especially.

“I stayed in the fight. I was getting annoyed, but I didn't change the process of what I was doing, the game plan, and then I got my reward on the 18th and it was massive.”

As, of course, was winning the RBC Canadian Open last weekend, when the 27-year-old once again stayed patient when things weren’t going his way, this time in the third round at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Ontario. “I was four shots back and we stuck with it and I pulled on that experience and we just stayed in the fight,” referring to his dad Dougie, who was on the bag for that memorable moment.

“You never know what's gonna happen and I swung eight shots in I think ten or 11 holes (to take a four-shot lead into the final day). It's just amazing how quickly the game of golf can change, and it's just about staying as calm as you can.

“Okay, there's going to be golf tournaments in the near future and the long-term future where I'm going to go mental because we're humans and we're not. We're not perfect all the time, but it's about recognising that you're maybe falling off the path and staying calm and stuff, and getting yourself back on there as quick as you can.”

Before turning his attention to next month’s Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club then the 152nd Open at Royal Troon the following week, MacIntyre is flying the Saltire at Pinehurst in North Carolina this week along with Grant Forrest, who came through a final qualifier at Walton Heath.

“We'll see what Bob turns up that week,” said MacIntyre, who is making his third appearance in the US event, having made the cut in both 2020 and 2021. “I’m obviously on a good run of form and I will prepare the same way we prepared for the PGA. I’m sure when I turn up there will be a few people from the tour saying congratulations and it will be nice to get the recognition. But I'm going to turn up there and try to do my job as best I can, like I do every week.”