Bob MacIntyre up for Scottish Open 'scrap' and more 'brutal' weather the better

Bob MacIntyre is relishing the prospect of a last-day “scrap” in the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, where he hopes the conditions are “absolutely brutal”.

Bob MacIntyre lines up a putt on the 18th green during the third round of the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

After carding a third-round 66 to sit on eight-under-par, the Oban man sits five shots behind leader Rory McIlroy and, taken purely at face value, has his work cut out to become the first home winner since Colin Montgomerie landed the title at Loch Lomond in 1999.

But, with the wind expected to blow up to 40mph on the East Lothian coast for the final round, MacIntyre is lipping his lips about facing one of the toughest tests thrown up in this event for a long time.

“That’s my best chance, if it gets absolutely brutal. I hope it does,” said the left-hander. “You look at the score Rory is on and the way he is playing this golf course, yeah, I think a lot of guys will want it brutal.

“It’s about making the shot. The wind won’t be the problem, it will be more my head if things aren’t going the right way, how do I handle it? But it’s going to be tough for everyone. I can’t wait. It’s the Scottish Open and I am in with somewhat of a chance. I’m always up for a scrap.”

Building up to next week’s 151st Open, MacIntyre gave himself a chance to win the Made in HimmerLand event in Denmark last weekend and is back in the mix again on a much bigger stage seven days later.

“It’s good,” he said of his progress over the past few weeks. “There’s obviously little thoughts on technique I have to keep an eye on. You’ll see me before tee shots trying to stretch as tall as I can because my problems are when I get too small.

“But there is so little technical thought. It’s about seeing the shot, seeing what the wind is doing and then hitting it. So I feel really good with the way my game is.”

The two-time DP World Tour winner has Greg Milne bag on his bag and, after a brief return to Davy Burns, is back working with Simon Shanks,.

“There were a few difficult decisions to make and a few difficult chats to have. But I don’t do things lightly, I do them because I think they are going to improve me,” he said.

“I think I am on the right path right now. And I’m back to enjoying myself on the golf course. A lot of people will see it. I’m having a bit of craic with Greg all the way round. It feels like back to 2019 (when he was crowned as DP World Tour Rookie of the Year).”

MacIntyre had the home fans signing at the signature hole - the short sixth - in Friday’s second circuit. “When I walked onto that green yesterday it was a great buzz,” he said, smiling. “It’s why the Scottish Open is the most important tournament on my schedule."

Calum Hill’s 67 left him on six-under along with Ewen Ferguson and Grant Forrest after they carded matching 70s. With six of the eight home players having made cut, Richie Ramsay (67) is one further back and Connor Syme (74) is on par.