Bob MacIntyre: Only Ryder Cup would beat buzz of winning shinty relegation battle

Bob MacIntyre reckons winning a relegation battle in shinty delivered his biggest “buzz” in sport to date despite holding off major champions Rory McIlroy and Matt Fizpatrick to become the Italian Open champion last year.

Bob MacIntyre takes his putter from caddie Mike Thomson in the Hero Cup singles session at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

But, after stepping up his bid to make a Ryder Cup debut in September on the back of an impressive performance in the inaugural Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi, the Oban man is hoping an even better experience is awaiting him in Rome.

MacIntyre, already on European captain Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup radar after his victory at Marco Simone Golf Club last September, rounded off his Hero Cup campaign with an impressive 5&3 win over experienced Swede Alex Noren in the concluding singles session at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

That left MacIntyre, who was flying the Saltire along with Ewen Ferguson, with three points out of four, which meant he ended up sharing the honour of being the top Great Britain and Ireland player in the new event with his captain, Tommy Fleetwood.

Despite their efforts, Continental Europe came out on top 14.5-10.5, which MacIntyre said felt “sore” but, looking at the wider picture, he was also quick to admit it had been a very encouraging start to a huge year.

“I enjoy anything with a team. Team sport is what it’s all about,” he said, smiling. “I play shinty and I remember heading up to Glenurquhart last year in a relegation battle and we won the game 2-1 when we should never have won it.

“The buzz that you have in the changing room after something like that is special. Nothing compares to that. I went into that changing room going mental at the end of the game.

“Italy was bloody good, but it was for me and the closest people around me - a small team. It’s a different kind of buzz in shinty as there are 15 other guys around you fighting for the same thing. Unfortunately, not to win this week means it’s not going to be as special on this occasion. But I think the Ryder Cup would win it - the Ryder Cup would take over.”

MacIntyre started birdie-birdie to set up his eye-catching victory against Noren, the 2016 Scottish Open champion and member of a winning Ryder Cup team in Paris two years later.

In fairness, his opponent wasn’t firing on all cylinders, but, nonetheless, it was a polished performance from the left-hander as he added to a brace of points gained alongside Seamus Power and Jordan Smith over the opening two days.

“I get on really well with Alex and I’ve played some of my best rounds of golf when I’ve been around him,” said MacIntyre. “I knew the way I’d been playing, I had a chance. I’ve been driving it well. I’ve been putting it well. I’ve been doing most things really well.

“To get off to the start I did with a great wedge shot out of the bunker to about seven feet kind of set us off and running and it kind of snowballed from there.”

While there’s still a long way to go in the battle for 12 spots up for grabs in Donald’s team, MacIntyre has definitely put himself in the frame on the strength of his overall performance in the UAE.

“I’m proud of the way I played,” he admitted. “I never gave up, let a couple of little things get to me but, overall, I played solid. I’m also proud of the guys who were out there fighting with me and never gave up. Even yesterday afternoon with Seamus, we were down, but we weren’t out. We kept punching and fighting and that’s all you can do.”

His mantra in 2023 is to play with a smile on his face, adding: “I was happy this week from start to finish. When I’m smiling and I’m happy, I play good golf - it’s not rocket science for me.

“At the end of last year, I didn’t enjoy it and I spoke to people. I get why. I know the level of golf I need to be playing at and we didn’t do that in the last two weeks of the season. I’ve come out here this week and enjoyed myself. I know I need to be around some good people and just have a laugh.”