Scottish Open disappointment leaves Bob MacIntyre feeling 'livid'

Failing to reach a fairway for just the second time as a professional and missing the cut. It wasn’t exactly the home-soil appearance Bob MacIntyre was looking for in the Genesis Scottish Open.

Bob MacIntyre gets a ruling during the second round of the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

“I think you can see it in my face,” said the Oban man of his mood after rounds of 73-72 for a five-over-par total left him making an early exit in the $8 million Rolex Series event at The Renaissance Club.

In fairness, MacIntyre had an unhelpful draw, having had to battle “brutal” windy conditions on Thursday afternoon then facing another stiff test on Friday morning on the East Lothian coast.

But, at a time when he’s just slipped out of the world’s top 100, he was keen to use this opportunity to kick-start his season and failing to do so stung like hell.

“Right now I’m livid about the way it went,” he added. “But I was still fighting there right to the end. I felt I needed to birdie the last hole and the two boys I was playing with hit a 6-iron short of the green. So I hit a 5-iron that was all over the pin, but it flies the green.

“I hate missing cuts, especially one at home, but, once I put - or throw - the clubs in the car, I’ve just got to try and dust myself off and go again.”

You sensed, though, that steam would still be coming out of MacIntyre’s ears by the time he reached home and being unable to reach the fairway at the par-5 16th in the opening circuit certainly hadn’t helped.

“There’s mistakes made and that was probably one of them,” he said, clearly suggesting the tees should have been moved up due to the hole playing straight into the teeth of a strengthening breeze by the time the later starters arrived there.

“It’s only the second time that has happened to me since turning pro and probably only the second time in my life. The other time was in the Dunhill at St Andrews, where me and Thomas Pieters didn’t sniff the fairway on 14.”

While he doesn’t feel that he needs to find anything technical to turn things around in time for next week’s 150th Open at St Andrews, MacIntyre said he needs to try and become more like Xander Schauffele when it comes to demeanour on the golf course.

“He (Schauffele) is brilliant,” said the Scot of one of his playing partners in the opening two rounds. “Nothing fazes him, whether it’s good or bad. But when I missed a putt, I put a dent in my water bottle, so it fazes me but not him.

“I think that’s the difference with the top boys - whether it’s a good day or a bad day, they are just the same. But for me just now - in fact, the last year and a half since coming out of Covid - I’ve been a bit volatile.

“I’ve not thought about seeing anyone about it. Not at all. It comes and goes. Once you start seeing a trend of good golf, you start believing in yourself again. But just now I feel I’m getting beat up all the time.”

Ewen Ferguson avoided joining MacIntyre on the missed cut list despite following an opening 67 with a 76. “Last week (in Ireland) I missed the cut by a shot by losing the head,” said Ferguson, who scraped through on three-over along with David Law (71) and Russell Knox (75).

“So I knew I had to just do it ugly, man up and manage to squeak through on a tough, tough day. I didn’t enjoy it.

“Last week I just got angry in the moment. And after it I was thinking: ‘Why did I do that?’ Today, out on the course, me and my caddie were talking about remembering last week, screwing the nut and focusing. It was tough to hear that in the moment, because you want to go even more angry.

“But I dug as deep as I could and those last closing holes were brutal.”