GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 14, 2024

Robert MacIntyre

The Renaissance Club

Press Conference

CLARE BODEL: Welcome to the winner's press conference of the Genesis Scottish Open. You've said yourself, This is the one that you've always wanted to win, and you've done it. Can you sum up how it feels?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: It's unbelievable. My reaction when the ball dropped on 18 said it all. I almost lost my voice now. It's the one I wanted and it's the one I got. It's just, I've watched it as a kid growing up, and it meant a lot. It was really the only one that I could go and watch.

Yeah, it's just, I can't believe it's happened. Just going to go celebrate tonight.

Q. Looked for a long spell that it weren't going to happen halfway through the start of the round but what sparked it?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I said to Mike when we walked off of 10, I said to him, "16 or 17 could win this."

Because no one was going -- no one was getting away. No one was making a move. Obviously the bogey on 10 was disappointing but I just -- I said to yous last night, other thing I can do is give 110 percent and that's what I've done. I got lucky at 16 and took the one chance I got on 18, and it's just my week.

Q. You came to the last hole this time with your fate in your hands. What was going through your mind when you stood on that tee and then the second shot?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, over the tee shot, there was only one bunker in play. It was the second one down the left. The wind was favourable. It was down off the left. Just tried to hit a hard cut off the right side. Just don't over cut it. And the job was just give yourself a chance, and second shot was nicely positioned to the heart of the green. I didn't know if it was pin-high or not. Got there and it's just nicely pin-high, and it was just standing over the putt, I was just like, "This is the chance you wanted. Take it."

Felt so good over the top. Hit it, and I thought it was half a roll short when it was going. It just looked like it was running out of legs. Yeah, it was just perfect.

Q. 3-wood the last time.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: 3-wood, last time. Pitching wedge, this time. It was a little bit easier.

Q. What was the club on 16?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, it was a 6-iron. It was between 6 and 7.

Q. And could you just walk us through the process of your routine and how you discovered the break you got?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, so I mean, I'm shouting and I'm swearing when I'm getting up to the ball because I know that that's my chance to really make birdie coming in. I got over the ball, looked at it, thinking, I'm in a bit of trouble here. Might manage to move it maybe a hundred yards.

As I took a step back, obviously there was no high rough where it would tangle the club. So I could take the practise swing, like a foot, foot and a half from the ball, and just a step back. I just heard the clunk; I've got spikes on the front three of my shoes, not on my shoe as spikes, but just the front three studs as metal spikes, and I was like, no way. I've got a sprinkler underneath my foot. Obviously the plastic spikes at the back, you don't feel it.

And I said to Mike, "Am I standing" -- "when I get up to the golf ball, am I standing on that sprinkler?"

And he's laughing at me going, yeah, yeah. It was just a lucky break. You use the rules to get advantage. You stand on a sprinkler, you're due relief. That was just the one kiss I needed.

Q. What was the line on 18?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: It was just outside the right edge. It was a double breaker. It was breaking early to the right and then the last, like, eight feet was just peeling left. I seemed to have, on that back nine, or all day, I had just double-break putts, but they were moving quite a lot. This one was the one I was most comfortable over. It was perfect.

Q. I'm sure you've dreamt about bedlam on 18 for a good chunk of your life. How did reality compare?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: It was everything. I mean, I've lost my voice from the scream that I let out. Last year was heartbreaking.

But this year, yeah, it means everything. This is one that I said I wanted at some point in my career and I got it today.

Q. You said to Amanda you were brought up to fight for everything. What makes you say that?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, I'm from a working-class background. I've got two older sisters my parents foster. We've got a foster boy just now that's been with us for six, seven years.

I was given a great opportunity by my whole family. We used to have a horse for my sisters, and couldn't afford to do both, and my sisters gave up the horse and gave me a chance to go and travel some within Britain.

And I was out grafting, practicing when I was young, and yeah, it was never given. I'm from the West Coast. It's been difficult, obviously, weather-wise, but your face doesn't fit exactly because you're not a central built guy, and I just have to graft at it. The biggest thing for me was never give up.

A lot of people might say, he doesn't quite have this, he doesn't quite have that, but I've got fight and that's all I need.

Q. Just touch on the emotion side, walking off 18 after the putter dropped, it looked incredible. Was that the best moment in your life?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Winning in Canada was emotional, really emotional because obviously it was my first PGA TOUR win. Signing the card, that was emotional, really emotional because it was my first PGA TOUR win. My dad was on the bag. I never thought it would happen.

This win, I was very calm. Standing over that putt. My hands, normally I get a little bit maybe shaky in the hands which is just natural. Everyone gets it.

But the putter felt heavy. My hands were calm. When that putt went in, it was just -- I had so much emotion in it. I just let it out, and it's just -- this one, this is the one I wanted. Nervous.

Q. You had a tee in hand --

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I had a tee in mind before I hit the putt. I got Mike to go and get my water to try and reset. But I was getting emotional before that. Started to read the putt, and I was like, you can still do the job here. I don it. It was just, it was incredible to have my whole family and friends there. Everyone that supporting me were there. It's a lifetime dream.

Q. Talk about your friends and family, as you come over to greet them. Just talk through that and what was said.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, again, there was a couple of swear words along with shock. I just thanked them. All the boys, my mates were there and we were just having a laugh and stuff. I just thanked my mom and dad. It's just incredible to be able to do this and still being here. My dad had obviously come down Friday night when I made the cut. Because he's a negative, negative man, and just doesn't leave until probably I was on about the 15th hole when he realised I was going to make the cut.

He'll support me through thick and thin. He didn't watch on the phone, but just to have the support not just from them but my friends, my sisters, Shannon, my girlfriend, my team through all the coaches, my management, and then obviously the support I had out there was just top drawer.

Q. You mentioned that you are going to quite rightly celebrate this hard. Should we expect to see you in the press tent tomorrow or should we expect a change of schedule?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I think there might be a change of schedule. I don't think I'll be in a fit state to get to Troon. I don't think I'll be legally able to drive (laughter).

Q. How hard is it going to be to come down from this in time for Thursday morning? It's quite emotional. And secondly, do you think this clinches PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: How I come down from this, I don't think I will. I think I will just try and ride the wave, and next week, yeah, it's Open Championship. That means, again, a lot to me.

But you've got to celebrate the good times because it doesn't happen a lot and this is one I said I wanted. This, I'm going to celebrate hard and I'll pitch up when I tee the ball on Thursday, whatever time I tee off, I'll try to win the championship. There might be some alcohol still in the system but I will try my best.

And I'm not really too worried about -- I don't want to win Rookie of the Year. I think everything else that comes with this is better than Rookie of the Year. But look, I'm going to celebrate this win with my friends and family, everyone that's there. I don't think they are going to be home for a bit tonight.

My best mate is working on Coll tomorrow morning, and he ain't going to Coll tomorrow. But no, we'll celebrate this one now.

CLARE BODEL: Well done again, Bob, and thank you very much.