ITALIAN OPEN

September 18, 2022

Robert MacIntyre

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Mission accomplished, your second title on the DP World Tour. Just describe those emotions.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Unbelievable. I didn't think it was going to come again. I've struggled the last year and just felt like my game wasn't quite there. Made a lot of changes the last three months and in my iron play today, this week, has been absolutely brilliant and thankfully got over the line at the end.

Q. Starting the day at three back, and iron play was absolutely relentless on the front nine. What was going through your mind?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Just keep hitting it. Leaving the drivable hole, walked off the par 3, got to the tee and I just said to Mike, "I'm not going at this." Didn't suit us, and we just laid up to a number.

Work I've done, started using Decade the last three weeks and it takes every bit of doubt away in my golf game, just swinging the golf club at the target, and the hybrid into 18 summed it up. I hit the target and as long as I hit it solid it's going to be all right. The first one felt good but this one is feeling even better. This is a 72-hole golf tournament that I've grabbed it.

Q. Front nine was relentless and second nine was gutsy, to bounce back from a couple mistakes, crucial mistakes at the time because everyone was catching you up.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, I thought if I get through the front nine in somewhat par we can kind of make a move after that. When I got off to such a hot start, was just thinking, keep pushing, one shot at a time and stay aggressive. Obviously I dropped on 14 and 15 was a terrible bogey. Coming in, all we can do, keep pressing and give myself chances. I play aggressively, so got no option but for me to play at pins and stay aggressive and thankfully it paid off this week.

Q. The showdown, to do it in a regular 72 stroke-play event with such a prestigious title on the line, it must feel absolutely fantastic.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, I started to doubt by receive, but a 72-hole golf tournament, standing over the putt in the playoff, I'm shaking like a leaf thinking how am I going to get the ball in the hole. Just trust it and one of them things and it went my way this week.

Q. We know what's coming to this venue in 12 months' time. That's a hell of an audition for the skipper. Do you think you might have played yourself on to the team with that performance?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Well, we are well away from The Ryder Cup obviously, and you know, what might as well say it, it's my No. 1 priority. I was close last time, and I went to try to get my PGA TOUR card, didn't work out, both sides.

But this is what I want. This is my only goal for the season is to make that Ryder Cup Team. I think I've made a good start.

Q. Fantastic fourth round, especially the front nine, 29.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, I didn't know until I signed my card I was 29 out but overall it was absolutely brilliant today, and the whole week really I played solid. Today I was knocking it close on the front nine and made a couple mistakes later but just kept fighting and managed to get away with the win.

Q. You played two times a perfect 18 holes.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, it's golf. I've been struggling with my game for the last kind of year I feel but I made a couple of changes in the last two months, three months, and all the hard work we're putting in, and if I can do it in a couple weeks when I'm back home in Scotland, give it another go.

Q. In your opinion, what's the key to perform so well on this course? Hitting the fairway?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, the rough is brutal, very difficult. But for me today it was iron play. I've worked tirelessly on iron play, approach play in the last year. That's been the difference for me. You've got to drive it well. The greens are so slopey as well.