Bob MacIntyre pleased with his patience after getting 'ratty' in Dubai

Bob MacIntyre displayed both patience and battling qualities on a day he found himself feeling “ratty” about not making birdies in the second round of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Bob MacIntyre looks on after playing a great chip on the 18th green during day two of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Picture: Francois Nel/Getty Images

The 24-year-old Oban man, who was out in the final group in the European Tour finale after his opening four-under 68, had to settle for a 72, which dropped him from joint-second into a tie for 12th.

MacIntyre had started his opening round with three straight birdies and added three more before signing off with seven straight pars on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

He then started his second circuit with 12 successive pars before seeing that run ended by a bogey at the par-5 13th, which he repaired with his only birdie of the day two holes later.

“I was getting ratty after like 12 holes,” admitted the recent Cyprus Showdown winner afterwards.

“We hadn't made a birdie, and in my head, I'm going, ‘we're making too many pars here. We'll drop one shot and then it's just over par’.

“That happened, and Mike [Thompson, his caddie] just kept saying we've got four chances coming up. The way you're hitting it, we can probably count on a couple. It was just about sticking with it.

“I always felt I was really good last year at staying patient, letting it happen. I started to force it a wee bit at the start of the year, and then Mike has come on the bag and he's more mature than me.

“He keeps me calm, keeps me in the moment with what I'm trying to do.”

MacIntyre sits six shots behind leader Patrick Reed but is hoping that a gutsy par to finish will give him some momentum heading into the weekend.

“That was a battle on 18,” he said of being close to finding the hazard that zig zags up the fairway off the tee, hitting his second close to a hospitality unit on the left, flying the green with his third but avoiding any damage thanks to a great up and down.

“I've seen every bit on that golf hole over the last two days,” he added with a smile. “But I played probably one of the best pitches I've had in the past year.”

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