Dinner date with Sam Torrance inspires Bob MacIntyre for Ryder Cup

Bob MacIntyre has been inspired to create his own slice of Ryder Cup history after having dinner with Sam Torrance, one of the event’s legendary figures, in the build up to next week’s match in Rome.

Bob MacIntyre and Sam Torrance met for dinner in the Wentworth area during last week's BMW PGA Championship in Surrey. Picture: Bob MacIntyre

The duo met for dinner during last week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, where MacIntyre was in action along with the other 11 members of the European team for the contest at Marco Simone Golf Club.

Torrance, who lives in Sunningdale and was commentating on the featured groups in the Rolex Series event for Sky Sports Golf, holed the winning putt in the 1985 Ryder Cup at The Belfry, where he also led Europe to victory in 2001.

“It was good,” said MacIntyre on spending some quality time in his fellow Scot’s company. “Once I got into the Ryder Cup team, it was all set up. It wasn’t a case of picking his brains, it was just listening to him tell stories about his past experiences and how he can help me. It was a great laugh, to be honest. I saw a photo of the trophy cabinet in his house and there are eight Ryder Cup trophies. He’s been there, he’s done it and achieved everything he’s needed to achieve.

“I mean it is good just to get snippets of how he did certain things. I am trying to create my own history now, but to get little bits of information from these guys and even my team-mates, like Justin Rose. Through the past week, I just asked questions. Not so much detail, just little questions that I think may help me in the future.”

MacIntyre is the only member of Luke Donald’s team playing in this week’s Cazoo French Open at Le Golf National, where Europe thumped the Americans in the 2018 contest under Thomas Bjorn’s captaincy. “I didn’t ask Luke or anyone within the team about what I should do or shouldn’t do,” said the Oban man of that decision. “All they said to me is: How do you play your best golf? Do you play better with a week off or not?

“I play better on a run and you can see that. My win in Italy (on the Ryder Cup course last September) might have come after three or four events. My win in Cyprus came in a run of events.

“I start to work things out. The golf clubs don’t change, but I start to work out tendencies and that’s the thinking. The Ryder Cup will be my third straight event and that is kind of when I play my best. Third or fourth week of a run.”

MacIntyre finished just inside the top 50 at Wentworth, where he played with two of his team-mates - Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick - in the opening two rounds as Donald offered hints about some of his potential partnerships in the 44th edition of the transatlantic tussle.

“It was a disappointing week, if I am being honest,” declared the 27-year-old. “I wasn’t quite at the races. My iron play wasn’t sharp, but the short game is looking good and I’m driving the ball reasonably well. It’s a building block. Everything is now building up for the Ryder Cup.”