Bob MacIntyre says game is 'trending in right direction' after top-15 finish in LA

Bob MacIntyre hailed the Genesis Invitational as “one of the best tournaments I’ve ever played in my life” as he savoured recording his most-impressive performance so far in a regular PGA Tour event.

Playing on a sponsor’s exemption in a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, the 25-year-year-old ended up in a share of 15th spot behind wire-to-wire winner Joaquin Niemann at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.

After following an opening 71 with back-to-back 67s, MacIntyre found himself playing alongside Rory McIlroy in the final round and he certainly wasn’t fazed by that in the slightest.

The Oban man signed off with a 71 to finish with an eight-under total, pocketing $189,000 in the process in his first start of the season on the US circuit.

Bob MacIntyre lines up a putt during the final round of The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. Picture: Katharine Lotze/Getty Images.

“Yeah, it was brilliant,” said MacIntre of his debut in the event, one of just three that have elevated status on the PGA Tour. “One of the best tournaments I’ve ever played in my life, if I’m being honest.”

MacIntyre had been hoping to sneak into the top 10, which would have secured a spot for him in the week’s Honda Classic in Florida.

Instead, he’s heading home to recharge the batteries following a run of five straight events before starting his build up to The Masters.

“Disappointed not to get top 10, but we are trending in the right direction,” he added, feeling much happier about his game than he did when missing the cut in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai at the start of his 2022 DP World Tour campaign.

“We struggled at the start of the season in the Middle East, but I think that coming to a top-class golf course, where I actually felt as though I could compete reasonably well, helped me this week.”

Referring to his game, he continued: “It’s in good shape. I’ve done a lot of work on it the last couple of weeks and I am starting to see the results of that, especially the putting.

“I missed a couple of putts out there today, but the greens are pretty fast compared to what we have been playing on.

“Everything is looking good. Just going to have a couple of weeks off now by the looks of it and we’ll go again wherever that may be.”

MacIntyre has moved up one place to 65th in the updated world rankings, but, with the cut-off for The Players Championship being next Monday, it now seems as though he will have to sit out on that event on this occasion.

“It’s looking likely that I‘m just going to miss out on the top 50 to get into Bay Hill (the Arnold Palmer Invitational) and The Players,” he said.

“But I think this should secure my Match Play position. So I think the next time I’ll be out in the States is for the Match Play. Who knows? But we will definitely be back out here as soon as we can.”

MacIntyre’s next appearance could be back on the DP World Tour in South Africa, where he has the option of playing in a double-header straight before the WGC in Austin.

As Chilean 23-year-old Niemann claimed his second PGA Tour with a 19-under total, Russell Knox (five-under) and Martin Laird (three-under) finished 33rd and 39th respectively.

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