Robert MacIntyre stayed the course on Sunday and pulled off an incredible win at the RBC Canadian Open. With his dad on the bag, the 27-year-old finally got over the hump.
He fired off a final round 2-under 68 to win by a shot over Ben Griffin.
“I was in a dog fight there,” MacIntyre said. “Obviously, Ben made it difficult coming in the stretch. He played well. It’s just incredible to do this with my dad on the bag and have my girlfriend here. I’m sure there’s a party going on back home in Oban.”
MacIntyre entered the final day with a four-shot lead. He started his final 18 like he did Saturday. After that bogey on one, he made minimal mistakes on the front nine.
The Scottish player added three birdies to turn in 33 strokes. Things got wild on the back, but he maintained that focus. MacIntyre birdied the par-4 11th before he dropped back-to-back shots at 12 and 13.
Things got tight then, but a birdie on 15 gave him a two-shot lead. He made a massive par-save on the 17th to keep that advantage.
Sometimes, it felt like he got into his head, but it did not last. In the middle of his round, a broadcast drone bothered him to the point of asking a rules official to make it back off.
“It’s been a hell of a ride,” he said. “The mental side of the game pulled me through today.”
Plenty of guys pushed hard on Sunday to take him down, but none could. His playing partner made a late surge to make things interesting heading into the final hole.
The former UNC Tarhill made birdies in two of his first three holes and settled for 11 straight pars. Griffin put even more pressure on MacIntyre with three straight birdies at 15, 16 and 17.
Griffin trailed the 3-time DP World Tour winner by one with the 18th left to play. He made par on the 18th to sign for a 5-under 65.
MacIntyre did not let that bother him at all. His approach was nearly perfect, giving him 9 feet for birdie. He played it safe and two-putted it to win the 2024 RBC Canadian Open.
He has already accomplished a lot in his short career. From helping Team Europe win a Ryder Cup last year to now calling himself a PGA Tour winner, MacIntyre is just getting started.
“It’s incredible. It’s a dream of mine to play golf for a living,” MacIntyre said. “It’s been a dream of mine to win on the PGA TOUR. I can’t believe I have done it with my dad on the bag.”
“The guy’s taught me the way I play golf. I never make it easy, and he said that, and that’s the way I play golf. I play it with the heart on the sleeve, and we got a hell of a fight in the two of us, and I just can’t believe that I’ve won on the PGA TOUR, to be honest.”
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
