Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Scottish Open: Home hero Robert MacIntyre secures one-shot win

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Emotional Robert MacIntyre vowed to “celebrate hard” after winning the “one I wanted” with a stunning Scottish Open triumph on home soil amid rapturous scenes.

The Scot, pipped to the title by Rory McIlroy’s brilliant birdie-birdie finish a year ago, was not to be denied this time as he staged a late surge to glory at the Renaissance Club.

MacIntyre – helped by a huge slice of luck on the 16th – gained four strokes in his closing five holes to post a three-under 67 that was capped by a title-winning birdie putt from 22 feet on the last.

That lifted the left-hander to 18 under, edging out Adam Scott by a shot after the Australian had set the target with a 67.

Frenchman Romain Langasque finished third on 15 under, with McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg a further shot back. Swede Aberg, who had led from the halfway stage, struggled to a closing three-over 73.

MacIntyre is now a two-time PGA Tour winner in the space of six weeks, having triumphed at the Canadian Open with dad Dougie on the bag.

That landmark win was special for the 27-year-old but it paled in comparison to the elation of victory in front of a large and passionate home crowd, who belted out ‘Flower of Scotland’ after the winning putt dropped as MacIntyre let out a victory roar and revelled in the celebrations.

“I had a tear in my eye before I hit the putt,” he said. “I was getting emotional before I read the putt. I still I had a job to do.

“This was the one I wanted, and it was the one I got. I can’t believe it’s happened.”

He has another huge home engagement next – The Open at Royal Troon starting on Thursday – but MacIntyre was in no mood to temper the celebrations.

“How do I come down from this? I don’t think I will,” he added. “I think I’m just going to try to ride the wave.

“The Open means a lot to me but you’ve got to celebrate the good times because it doesn’t happen a lot.”

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