Bob MacIntyre was overcome with emotion at the Genesis Scottish Open.
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Welcome back to Monday Finish, where we quickly type to try and crash Bob MacIntyre's birthday party. All right, Bob.
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I LOVE GOLF EQUIPMENT
Using a good break.
The hour was ticking late on Sunday at the Genesis Scottish Open there Bob MacIntyre he let out a string of curse words as he saw where his shot had landed on No. 16. This was the last clear birdie hole of the day and Bob needed two birdies, at least, to have a chance of winning and now he was going to hit. his drive through some of the Renaissance Club's fescue plots.
“I know that's my chance to make birdie,” MacIntyre said after the round. “I passed the ball, I looked at it, I thought, 'I'm in a little trouble here. He might be able to move it maybe a hundred yards.'”
But when MacIntyre got out of his ball there was a sound he described as a “clunk.” Without the spikes he may not have seen it but the three front poles on his Nikes are metal, which means he heard and felt his luck: There was a sprinkler head under his foot.
He looked at his friend, Mike Burrow, he said laughing and looking towards them. They both knew how useful it is to have a free drop here.
“You use the rules to your advantage. “You're standing in the sprinkler, you're about to be relieved,” MacIntyre said later. “That was all the hug I needed.”
The rules of golf are that simple. Sometimes they give cruel ultimatums. But sometimes they bring relief – and open the door to greatness. MacIntyre entered through that door. After falling, he fired his shot from 248 yards to six feet, setting the home crowd on fire. He was going to punch that in the eagle, suddenly arresting the leader Adam Scott. And about 20 minutes later he would hole a 22-foot birdie putt on No. 18 and cry so hard he lost his voice. The proud Scot had won the Scottish Open, the one he had always wanted.
The crowd cheered him on with the national anthem as he sank into the scene. Last year, when Rory McIlroy finished him in the same event with impossible birdies at 17 and 18, he wondered how close that was. A year later he returned, stared at the field of the best players from the US and Europe and succeeded. He leaves the week as a legitimate world champion – from last year's tournament he won the Ryder Cup, won his first and second PGA Tour championships, claimed his country's open and jumped into the top 20 in the world; he was never better than No. 39.
He plans to enjoy the time. Asked about his press conference scheduled for Monday in Troon, which will host next week's Open Championship, MacIntyre shook his head.
“I think there may be a change of schedule. “I don't think I'll be in good shape to get to Troon,” he said with a laugh. “I don't think I'll ever be able to legally drive.”
He did not win because of the fall; he won because of everything else again a drop. He did not avoid that.
“Look, I got lucky on 16 that you need luck to win golf tournaments. I couldn't believe it when I felt a spring under my foot where my nail was and I was like, It's impossible. It was covered, and I thought, I was lucky; it was meant to be.”
If golf gives you free drops, make an eagle. Appreciating your luck, taking full advantage and celebrating with a pint or 12 — those are the things I love about golf.
THE WINNER
Who won the week?
Ayaka Furue won his first championship at the Amundi Evian tournament thanks to a funny finish; celebrated Bastille Day in France with a birdie-birdie-birdie-par-eagle on the last five holes to get to 19 under and win by one shot. He cited Star Wars as a win – again May the Force be with you he went down at that closing moment.
Bob MacIntyre he won the Genesis Scottish Open, an event that has become the perfect link to the golf season. (We still want more – Rory McIlroy revealed it's the first time he's played links golf since last summer's Open, which doesn't seem very fair — but it's a good start!) He rose to No. 16 in the world as the golf world descended on Troon.
The ISCO Championship ended in a five-man qualifying tournament Harry Hall he finished things off with a stunning par on the third qualifying hole – the perfect time to win, given that his wife is due to have their first child next week.
Sergio Garcia won the LIV Golf event at Valderrama in his native Spain in a playoff Anirban Lahiri after Lahiri missed an 18-inch putt to win in regulation. Garcia made par with Lahiri twice on the second playoff hole to take the title and his Fireballs won the playoff, too.
NO-THE WINNER
Probably, though.
Adam Scott did everything but win and left North Berwick with good vibes; The solo second was his first time in contention this season and his best PGA Tour finish since winning the Genesis Invitational in 2020.
“You know, it was nice to have one important,” he said, referring to the birdie putt that went past No. next week in the form. Because it's been a while since I've done that.”
Romain Langasque finished third after a final round of 64; he said this week felt “important to us on the DP World Tour.”
List of world beaters who finished T4: Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, Collin Morikawa, Sungjae Im, Sahith Theegala again Aaron Rai.
Rai was probably more than happy to finish there, as he punched his ticket to this week's Open Championship after a final round 63 and cracked the world's top 50 for the first time. “I knew [the possibility of qualifying] at different times during the week but I think I felt very far away from it today, or entering today; that it didn't cross my mind, that's probably the best thing I've done to hide it.”
Aberg was probably not happy at all; held the lead for most of the week and had a two-shot advantage heading into the final round. But he made just one birdie all Sunday and three bogeys in his final nine to post a disappointing final round 73. (Even so.)
McIlroy was in the middle. His placing may have kept him from defending the title but it seems all plans will go into the final stages of the year.
“The reason I like to play the week before big games is to get a little rusty and try to be sharp, and I feel like I did that this week,” he said. Continue to the next.
THEY DON'T HIT SHORTS
News you need to know, in a nutshell.
Keegan Bradley earned a surprise nod as US Ryder Cup captain Bethpage Black; The election was met with shock – including from Bradley himself – but the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Alan Bastable captured the scene at Bradley's first press conference here.
It's not uncommon to hear a golfer talk about joining LIV Golf and what happens if we die in the same interview – but most golfers don't. Viktor Hovland. From this conversation no Tom Kershaw in the Sunday Times:
“What do you think happens after death? We don't know. The center will say, 'Your neurons will stop firing. Your body will rot.' OK, that's another explanation but, if you look at our ancestors, there's a lot of culture that goes into preparing for the afterlife. Were they just idiots or had they taken something? I'm just curious. We are sold we have all the answers but there is only so much we don't know. I find those questions very motivating and I just want to get them.”
Tiger Woods he arrived in Troon on Sunday morning and played 18 holes. This sounds like a big week for his competitive future; he won one of the three majors this year and hasn't dropped in an Open since 2018, when he held the lead on Sunday and finished T6. (He has played just twice since then, in 2019 and 2022.) Woods' last major top-30 finish came in 2019; his last top-30 anywhere (except Hero World Challenge) came in 2020. But I am an eternal optimist for Woods and I would like to point out that physically he looked better at Pinehurst than at any tournament in years. When he catches the right wave and his putter is hot…
Colin Montgomery called for Woods to retire, which is a provocative position – and sure, golf's take could use some spice – but certainly brave, given Woods' popularity.
Bryson DeChambeau and his childhood skating coach Mike Schy he was drawn into a public scandal when Schy accused DeChambeau of defunding a youth tour near where he grew up; DeChambeau says Schy's claims come as part of an extortion scheme and contradict his version of events this time around. Golfweek the story.
ONE THOUGHT
Learning from Ludwig.
Richard Mansell He says he's been struggling with his game lately. He was “moaning” to his boss on a recent Saturday night. But he found inspiration in one of the golf stars.
“Believe it or not, I was there yesterday watching Ludwig [Aberg] “He hit the balls and I saw that he was quick to get on with it,” said Mansell. “I was like, 'I'm not doing that. I need to take a leaf out of that book' and I tried to speed up my routine and see the target and go and I didn't miss many shots today.”
On Sunday he shot a course record 61 to jump into the top 10 and qualify for the Open Championship. Hurry up, gang! More swinging thoughts are probably useless.
ONE BIG QUESTION
Four out of four?
Sometimes there are great winners but we come to the final slam of the year with three deserving champions: You could argue that Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele again Bryson DeChambeau they are three of the four best golfers in the world. Another man on that list would be, of course, Rory McIlroy. After Pinehurst's heartbreak, could this be his week?
ONE THING YOU DON'T WATCH
Matt Wallace in the green room.
Matt Wallace he bares his soul to the robot narrator of the DP World Tour and it goes amazingly well.
NEWS FROM Seattle
Monday Finish HQ.
This week, when European sports take center stage, it's an exciting time to be on the West Coast – but I'm not complaining. Wimbledon final and breakfast, Scottish Open final shortly after, EuroCup final shortly after that? Primetime games are a distant memory.
Can't wait to get into open week. It could be the best of the year. See you here!
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Dylan welcomes your comments at [email protected].
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