PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 18, 2024

Robert MacIntyre

Valhalla Golf Club

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Robert McIntyre joins us at the 106th PGA Championship.

How are you feeling after your first three rounds?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Feeling good. A little bit hot today, but feeling good about the game. Obviously last night was a poor finish and a bit disappointed, but we're still right in the golf tournament, and I come out today and just tried my best.

I don't know what's going to happen. No one does. I just tried to control myself as good as I could, and I thought me and Mike, my caddie, done a good job of it.

Q. You've got a really bumped leaderboard. What's the key for you tomorrow to get yourself -- stay in that mix?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: To be honest, just keep doing what I'm doing. I was obviously in with a chance last week. Didn't quite happen. But I kind of highlighted a few things that -- or me and my team highlighted a few things that we can maybe try and not do.

So tomorrow that's another test for it. Go out there and try and control myself as well as I can, and to be honest, for me it's all about acceptance. I've just got to accept where the golf ball goes.

Like I stood there on 16, I hit a drive right down the middle and I've got a big mud ball, and I'm standing there going, you can mumble and moan as much as you want, but you've got to hit that golf ball. I hit a 6-iron, and I was just in my head, just swing it; accept what happens.

It was perfect. It went straight thankfully, but that's really my attitude for tomorrow. Go out there, commit to the golf shot and accept as much as I can.

Q. It's a big tournament, obviously massive crowds out there. How does the pressure of today, being in one of the final groups, compare to playing on Thursday and Friday?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Look, the only reason there's pressure is because you care so much, or the nerves, it's only because you care about what you're doing, the position that you're in.

But it's fun. It's part of it. It's new in an individual event, the pressure. Obviously the Ryder Cup was a bit more severe. But I had teammates to back me up. This time it's me and Mike, my caddie.

We're out there fighting as much as we can, but I'm going to get nervous tomorrow. I'm going to be nervous tonight. But all I can do is try my best, and that's honestly as much as I try and say it to myself, that's all I can do is just try my best and see where we end up. If I'm in with a chance, I'm in with a chance, and then we may start think about winning a golf tournament.

But until about probably the 68th hole I'm going to try and just play golf, and then at the 68th hole I have to maybe think about what I'm doing.

Q. Did you have to remind yourself that it's supposed to be fun, or does that part come naturally?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: To be honest, it's all about my own mindset. It depends on how I'm feeling as a person outside of golf.

Everyone knows I've been struggling with living in America since January. It's been difficult. I went home there for three weeks. Spent a lot of time with friends and family and everyone that really matters to me, and I came back out wanting to play golf.

If you're wanting to play golf, you're going to practice hard, you're going to enjoy it, and yeah, the performances have been there the last few while.

Q. You talked about acceptance being an important word for you. Was that something you have struggled with in the past, not accepting? What did that look like?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, it's just -- it's more about -- we don't try and hit bad golf shots. We're trying to hit good golf shots, but I'm not a robot. I'm going to hit bad ones. I'm going to mis-hit them. But everyone is going to do it. It's just about accepting it and going and dealing with a shot.

I've got all the tools to deal with whatever shot I've got. So as long as I don't get angry or really down on myself, then as long as I've still got the fine touches in my hands, then I can play any golf shot I really want to, depending on how it comes off.

Q. When you were home for those three weeks, did you get any good advice from anyone in your life?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: To be honest, I've changed quite a lot within my team.

Obviously Mike, who's caddying for me this week was caddying for me for a wee while there when Danny Willett was out injured. My caddie is at a wedding this week so Mike is back on the bag. To be honest, I'm just out here trying to enjoy myself as much as I can. As boring as it may be for you guys, I'm just really trying to enjoy myself.

The last three days have been great. The golf course is a great test, long, tough golf course, but I'm playing nicely. Just play golf.

Q. Last summer you had a bit of an opportunity to win the Scottish Open, the same kind of experience, being the home crowd favorite that Justin Thomas has right now. I'm curious how it nets out, if it's easier because you have so much support or if it's harder because you have pressure to perform in front of everybody?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, I'm not sure. It's just different. It felt unbelievable playing at the Scottish Open in front of my home crowd, obviously with a chance.

But the unthinkable happened. One of the best golfers on the planet done what he done.

It's probably a moment -- the feeling I had walking down 18 at the Scottish Open, before I even holed that putt, the feeling I had walking down there is something that there's not many places that Rory McIlroy goes and they're not wanting him to win, and the Scottish Open was probably one of them. It's just cool to have so many people on your side wanting you to do well. But sometimes it can be hard if it's not going your way because you almost feel like you're letting them down. But it's part of golf, the highs and lows of golf.