BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

September 18, 2024

Robert MacIntyre

Wentworth Golf Club

Press Conference

MATTHEW JOULE: Pleased to be joined by Bob MacIntyre. Bob as most recent winner in the Rolex Series, how nice to be here at the BMW PGA Championship?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: It's always great. It always the best event of the year we play, and look, when the weather is decent like this, there's not many better places to be. But it's just good to be back and playing and seeing familiar faces and being comfortable in the environment. Just looking forward to the week start.

MATTHEW JOULE: How was the Pro-Am?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: It was brilliant. It was like a dream come true for me, a sporting idol of mine. Yeah, it was just a special, special day.

Q. How impressed were you with Andy, and do you know how many of his scores counted towards your team's performance? How good do you think he was?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: He was good. For a guy that's obviously not played that much golf, he played when he was younger, but then obviously through his tennis career, he didn't play as much.

But he did say he was practising a hell of a lot in the lead up to this, and I thought he was good. For someone that's not really played that much, I thought he was good, and I mean, he did change his clubs yesterday, I think it was.

Look, when I get a new set of clubs, normally they are not perfect for me. Probably got a bit of work to do.

No, I was very impressed with his game.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ROBERT MacINTYRE: There was so much going on. It was a circus.

Q. Talking about a circus, can you have the same enthusiasm for life at 8.00 in the morning as Anton Du Beke?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Not a chance. He danced from the 18th tee all the way back around to the 17th green. He was full of life. I wasn't at the start (laughter).

Q. Any shot that Andy hit that impressed you?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: He had a few. He hit a couple of wedge shots. Even the first hole, my tee shot was still out of position but wedged it up and then hit a lovely wedge shot. I mean, he'll be at scratch in no time.

Q. Yourself, the rest of the season, what are the sort of goals? You've had a good PGA TOUR season, focusing the rest of the season on the DP World Tour. What's the big goal?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Now the goal is to get obviously back on the Ryder Cup Team, and obviously try to begin golf tournaments every week. That's my job, and there's so much that goes into winning them.

For me, it's just give myself as many chances as I can, and last week was the same. I gave myself a chance. Sunday I wasn't at the races, and that's part of it.

Q. With the best of Florida golf and practise facilities at your disposal, what is it about Glencruitten that helps you prepare for venues such as this or last week on tour?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I don't know. I just -- it's home. It's where my family and friends are. Look, the golf course, it's tight. There's a lot of par 3s, long par 3s. That's where my long irons are really good.

For me, it's the work/life balance. Home's home.

Q. Obviously you've knocked off quite a few of your goals this year with the Scottish Open and the win in Canada. How much does this now move up the bucket list next to the majors maybe?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, it's up there now. Obviously I had won before a major, The Scottish Open. I never knew how many chances I was going to get especially after last year. You never know how many real chances you're going to have to win that.

Thankfully I got another chance this year and took it. But no, this is the Flagship Event on the Tour. I mean, this is the next one behind The Scottish Open for me on tour outside of the majors.

Q. Both Rory and Tommy were in earlier and were asked about Ian Poulter made comments that he still wanted to be a Ryder Cup Captain, and they spoke about how captains need to be relatable to the younger players. Do you understand that you have to know the people that you are going to play for with some of these guys a bit out of the picture now?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, I get that. But it depends what the Tour do and what the people at the top decide how it all works.

I just, for me, I want to play in Ryder Cup. I need to play good week-in, week-out, here and in America, play good golf, and I kind of leave that to the main people.

Q. Luke Donald, he came over here and he got to know you guys and that got its reward in Rome, and that's important.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, it's important. It's important to know everyone. Obviously Luke was playing a lot in Europe, and he was by my side for a lot of golf tournaments in the end, which was also difficult because he's going to putt a bit of extra pressure on you.

But yeah, Luke done a great job on that side of it. I mean, I'm sure he's going to do the same for the next one.

Q. Another question about your playing partners today. I'm sure you've not been asked many questions about 7 handicappers in a press conference as this. In terms of you and Andy's career, different stages, obviously, but there are some parallels, coming from a smaller community, if you like. To what extent do you look at Andy, playing a different sport, granted, but as someone you can aspire to be in terms of profile and success in your sport?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: If I achieve half of what he achieved in his sport, then I'll have overachieved to be honest with you. The guy is a sporting idol of many, many Scottish Open. I mean, at dinner the other night with Callum Hill and others, and Callum doesn't know much about other sports other than golf. But Andy Murray is his sporting idol.

Look, when a Scottish person does so well, the whole of Scotland get behind them. I'm no different. When he was winning Wimbledon, I watched every shot. I'd love to have half the career that he had in my sport. But there is so much work that goes into it.

And for me, it was about kind of -- going forward, trying to pick his brains because our sports are probably as close as we can get it. Obviously the mechanics are completely different. But we are individual. We've got our own teams. It's as close as we are going to get to the game of golf.

Q. You mentioned saw that first Wimbledon. Do you recall where you were, the circumstances?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Andy Murray. Had to have been at my Mum and Dad's in Oban. It was probably me and my dad watching there every shot to be honest with you. My sisters were out doing something with my mom, but me and my old man would have been sitting there watching every shot.

Q. Ryan Fox was in here yesterday and talked about the difficulties of playing in the United States. Could you talk about your difficulties, if you've had any, playing in the U.S.?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I think every DP World Tour player has had difficulties. It's a completely different environment. It's a completely different culture. But that was fully expected.

Look, when you're in -- I feel like when you're in Europe, it's very friendly. You go into the players' lounge, you sit at a table if you're on your own, someone is going to come and join you. When you're in America and you don't know anyone, you go and sit at a table, no one's coming to join you because everyone travels in teams. Everyone's very individual in America but whereas over here, I feel like we travel the world together.

Yeah, I think I've got a good ball of that with me, my team, my girlfriend, everyone around me, we've started to find a balance to that. But at the start, it wasn't a nice place to be.

Q. Did you end up taking a place to live as a base?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I did, yeah.

Q. Was it Orlando? I couldn't remember.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I was renting a place in Orlando. I stopped the rent in August. Just a waste of money.

Q. Will you do that in the future, rent something else?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: No. I'm not going to rent. I'm going to travel back-and-forth. If I've got a week off, I'll stay in America, go and practise at Isleworth. If I've got two weeks off, I'll go home.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for your time.