Robert MacIntyre's Path To Ryder Cup Star
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Today At A Glance:
Robert MacIntyre’s story begins in a town of 8,100 people. It includes moving to Louisiana to play at a now-defunct college and his first professional events in the Middle East — MacIntyre’s path to becoming a Ryder Cup star.
Read Time: 6 minutes.
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Hey Golfers —
Robert MacIntyre played in three of the five Ryder Cup sessions — he didn’t lose a match. Of the six European golfers who played in three sessions — Robert won the most points with 2.5
Robert MacIntyre (3 Sessions) — 2.5 points
Shane Lowry (3 Sessions) — 1.5 points
Justin Rose (3 Sessions) — 1.5 points
Matt Fitzpatrick (3 Sessions) — 1 point
Sepp Straka (3 Sessions) — 1 point
Nicolai Hojgaard (3 Sessions) — .5 points
The Ryder Cup rookie has only played in America once this year — at the PGA Championship — the least of any European golfers. Since 2019 — Robert has primarily played on the DP World Tour and has sprinkled in a few PGA Tour events per year.
MacIntyre has made a little over 7 million Euros during his career on the DP World Tour. Depending on conversion rates for each year — it would be around $7.5 million.
To put that in perspective — five of his European teammates made more money this year on the PGA Tour (not including bonuses) than Robert has made in his career on the DP World Tour.
Jon Rahm — $16.5 million
Viktor Hovland — $14.1 million
Rory McIlroy — $13.9 million
Tyrrell Hatton — $8.3 million
Matt Fitzpatrick — $8.1 million
Robert has made $2.4 million on the PGA Tour in 29 events during his career.
MacIntyre was quoted as saying:
To wear the Ryder Cup uniform is the most special feeling in golf for a European. It’s why we play golf — a Ryder Cup Europe badge on your chest. It’s everything.
I don’t think Robert is too concerned about the earnings differential.
Robert’s unlikely path to the Ryder Cup includes growing up in a Scottish town of 8,000 people, moving to Louisiana to play golf at a now-defunct men’s college golf program, and playing on a tour in the Middle East.
Stories like Robert’s are why the game is great.
You have golfers that grow up in warm climates geared for golf. They attend elite colleges with multimillion-dollar practice facilities and fly private planes. Then you have golfers from cold climates, and maybe golf isn’t the first thought. They attend middle-of-the-road colleges with minimal practice facilities and travel by van.
It doesn’t matter how you get there. Just get there. And that is what Robert did.
Oban, Scotland, is a tiny resort town of 8,140 people located two hours northwest of Glasgow. Golf is not the first sport in Oban.
Robert’s family home is on Glencruitten Golf Club — a par 62 golf course where his dad was the greenskeeper. Glencruitten is the only golf course in Oban. But that didn’t stop Robert from playing and excelling in junior golf.
MacIntyre was a force in amateur golf — he won the Scottish Amateur in 2015. And he eventually represented Great Britain and Ireland in the 2017 Walker Cup.
But before playing in the Walker Cup, he would move to the United States to play collegiate golf on scholarship at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Robert enrolled at McNeese State University in the fall of 2014.
Robert had an immediate impact at McNeese State. In his first tournament at Colorado State, he finished in a tie for seventh with rounds of 69-74-71. MacIntyre battled fellow European golfers Jon Rahm and Adrian Meronk at the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational in Hawaii. Rahm finished 5th, Meronk finished 7th, and MacIntyre finished 17th.
He recorded eight Top 10 finishes his freshman year, leading McNeese State University to its first NCAA postseason appearance. Robert won freshman of the year in the Southland Conference and shot a low round of 63.
Robert returned to McNeese State his sophomore year — he won the first tournament of the season at Southern Miss with rounds of 66-68-65. MacIntyre finished the fall semester of his sophomore year and wouldn’t return to McNeese State. His last collegiate tournament was in Hawaii.
Why did MacIntyre leave McNeese State? Reports stated there was a falling out with his coach. College is an adjustment — especially in a different country and culture. MacIntyre loves Oban — he sometimes introduces himself as ‘Bob from Oban’. And maybe that is why he hasn’t played much on the PGA Tour or moved to the United States. He simply loves Oban.
McNeese State unfortunately shut down its Men’s and Women’s golf programs in 2021 due to budget cuts.
After McNeese State — MacIntyre played in the 2017 Walker Cup. He beat Cameron Champ 6&4 in singles and then halved with Cameron Champ the following day in singles.
Robert had game — he turned pro in 2017.
He played his first two professional events on the MENA Tour.
Jordan’s AYLA Golf Championship — 3rd ($2,800)
Sahara Kuwait Golf Championship — 1st ($9,000)
Robert earned his card on the European Challenge Tour in 2018 and played well enough to earn a DP World Tour card for the 2019 season. He hasn’t looked back.
MacIntyre has won twice on the European Tour.
Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown — $220,000
DS Automobiles Italian Open — $550,000
He is currently ranked 54th worldwide by the OWGR and 143rd by Data Golf.
Robert has excelled at every stage of his career. At McNeese State University, he was ranked inside the top 50 amateurs in the world. He won his second professional event on the MENA Tour. And was able to get his DP World Tour card two years after turning pro.
But growing up in a small town playing on a par 62 course and becoming a Ryder Cup star? It is an unlikely story — a story that makes this game so great.
Have yourself a great Monday. Talk to you next week!
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Excellent, Jared. Well done and a very enjoyable read.
Love the stories of unlikely golf pockets of the world. Another: Swedish, Filbornaskolan high school, producing Madelene Sagstrom, Linn Grant, Maja Stark and Ludvig Aberg