I could have curled up in a ball and cried, says Bob MacIntyre of his stress in 150th Open

He’d just extended his run of making cuts in majors to ten in a row after digging deep over the closing few holes on the Old Course at St Andrews on Friday, but Bob MacIntyre was neither bothered about celebrating the feat or in a state to do so.
Bob MacIntyre crosss over the Swilcan Bridge with playing partner Justin De Los Santos on his way to the 18th green during the third round of the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Ian Rutherford.Bob MacIntyre crosss over the Swilcan Bridge with playing partner Justin De Los Santos on his way to the 18th green during the third round of the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Ian Rutherford.
Bob MacIntyre crosss over the Swilcan Bridge with playing partner Justin De Los Santos on his way to the 18th green during the third round of the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Ian Rutherford.

Speaking after he’d carded a third-round 69 to make a little jump in the leaderboard in the 150th Open, the Oban man said: “I mean, last night I was sitting at the dinner table just slouched, didn't know what to do. I was trying to eat, but I was done. I could have curled up in a ball when I finished and cried.”

Though delighted to be around for the weekend again in one of the game’s showpiece events, having developed a knack of making major cuts since playing in his first one in this tournament in 2019, MacIntyre had been drained by the opening two days on this occasion.

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With three holes to play in the second circuit, the 25-year-old stood on level par, which had been the projected cut mark for most of the day, and found himself having to save testing par putts on both the 16th and 17th to avoid a first early exit.

Bob MacIntyre ponders a putt with caddie Mikey Thomson at St Andrews. Picture: Ian Rutherford.Bob MacIntyre ponders a putt with caddie Mikey Thomson at St Andrews. Picture: Ian Rutherford.
Bob MacIntyre ponders a putt with caddie Mikey Thomson at St Andrews. Picture: Ian Rutherford.

“Yesterday was big for me,” admitted MacIntyre. “I've never been that stressed on a golf course in my life. With seven holes to go, I don't know what was going on. Had to turn away from the actual fairway on 16 because there was too much going on. Fan support is absolutely brilliant, but I was feeling it.

“You're not letting people down, but you know how much it means. There's so many people supporting me, and it means so much to me that I wasn't going to let them down because I was having a hard time, but I was trying almost too hard.

“Then the two putts on 16 and 17 yesterday, I just gave up. I was like, ‘great, I gotta have these putts, and if they go in, they go in’. Thankfully, I holed them. I made every cut, okay. I've finished top ten twice, but I've not challenged yet. But I'm only 25.”

Out in the fourth group of the day in the penultimate circuit, MacIntyre was still back on the tee as his playing partner, Philippines player Justin De Los Santos, strode down the first fairway on a sun-kissed morning.

David Law during third round of the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Tom Russo.David Law during third round of the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Tom Russo.
David Law during third round of the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Tom Russo.

Laughing as he offered an explanation, the Scot said: “I don't know what it is, if it's because I'm left-handed or what. But every pair of golf shoes I ever wear, I lose studs. It was the same all the way growing up. I lose studs.

“Today I'm hitting my tee shot, and after I had it, I felt my foot move. I'm like I lost a stud. Sure enough, I checked after 10 yards, and I'd lost a stud. I'm not daft. I've got backups. We just screwed on another one.”

In a round that included birdies at the third, seventh, tenth, 14th and 16th - he also suffered spillage once more at the 13th, which he “hates” - the left-hander enjoyed getting up and down from the Road Hole bunker to save par at the 17th.

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“I got lucky,” he declared. “I was outside a yard from the lip. When I hit the bunker shot, I didn't know where it had gone. As soon as I hit the ball, I hit the lip and there was just dust everywhere. Mike [Thomson, his caddie] didn't know where the ball had gone. I just heard people clapping, so I was like, ‘oh, it's out’.”

He was hoping for better than three-under but, with another opportunity to come on Sunday, MacIntyre is determined to give an army of home fans something to shout about.

“I'm wanting to compete every time I tee it up, but I've not mastered The Old Course yet. I don't know quite how to play a few holes, and it's driving me insane right now,” he said.

“I enjoyed it today because there was no consequence. I was hitting shots I wouldn't have hit like yesterday. For instance, on 16 I hit bang driver down the left. Whereas yesterday I had to turn away on that hole because I just had to switch off from golf for a second to give me a bit of peace.

“But tomorrow is going to be absolutely brilliant. Hopefully I'll go out a bit later and hopefully shoot a bit lower than today and get the crowd going.”

David Law, the other Scot to make the cut, having achieved the feat on his major debut, had the wind taken out of his sails by two double-bogeys 6s in the space of three holes on the front nine.

On a day when his mentor and manager Paul Lawrie was among the fans following him round, the 31-year-old Aberdonian had to settle for a 77, which left him sitting five shots behind MacIntyre on two-over.

“I played decent enough stuff on the front nine, actually, and got unlucky on four, a bit unlucky on six,” reported Law. “And all of a sudden you're four-over par on a day you feel you should be under par, you chase it a little bit and that's what happens.

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“It is what it is. I didn't play as bad as shooting five-over par. But obviously it's a tough setup, tough golf course and that's what happens.”

It may not have been what he was looking for, but it was by no means a disaster. “No,” insisted Law to that word being mentioned. “We're playing The Open. We're playing four days at The Open at St Andrews. It's good. So hopefully I play a good one tomorrow and we'll finish off on a positive note on a great week.”