Every week the world golf rankings receive an update via a supercomputer. The results are often eagerly anticipated, especially by those who feel they will have made progress by moving up a few places. It applies to Scottish player Robert MacIntyre, a man with a big future in the sport if things continue to go to plan.
MacIntyre, 24, who hails from Oban in Scotland, picked up his maiden European Tour title a couple of months ago back in November 2020 by winning the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown. The final round saw nineteen players remain, with MacIntyre carding 64 that edged him past Masahiro Kawamura by a shot to seal the victory. Following the success, MacIntyre was sitting in fifty-sixth in the world rankings. But even though he hasn’t played since, he’s climbed five places to fifty-first. And he’s now on the verge of the top fifty and everything that brings.
As everyone and Macintyre know, if he takes the final step and makes the top fifty, a Masters invitation could be around the corner. And, while he will be a long shot in the betting, a spokesman at the recently launched PartyCasino sportsbook believes the Scotsman has loads of potential and a bright future ahead of him. The general feeling is that rather than looking to secure a top fifty spot in the world rankings, there are real expectations for the young man to surpass it. And more importantly, the player feels that it isn’t beyond him and his limits to do so.
It’s been stop-start for Macintyre, as it has for most in the sport, but after collecting the rookie of the year award in 2019, he couldn’t build on it due to a wrist problem that ruled him out of playing in a showpiece event in Abu Dhabi. It would have been the perfect platform to continue moving in the right direction, but injury, and then the current state of affairs, brought things to a halt. So, it’s a measure of Macintyre’s determination and resolve that he came out on top in Cyprus, ending 2020 on a high.
MacIntyre is standing in good stead because he continues to learn, study players he looks up to such as Tommy Fleetwood and Graeme McDowell while adjusting the way he works. He makes small changes to earn marginal gains, and these could prove to be the deciding factor on whether he is at his limit in terms of hitting the top fifty and remaining in that area. Or, whether he can surpass that, potentially achieving great things on the main stage.
He currently ranks as world number fifty-one, on the verge of reaping the rewards of his graft and resilience, but knows he must put in a big season if he’s to realise his dreams and ambitions. Next up is the Abu Dhabi Championship, and he will go there entirely focused knowing what challenges he must overcome to build on the progress he has made so far.
Because he keeps growing and refining his work methods, MacIntyre is doing well. He continues to learn from and observe players he admires, such Tommy Fleetwood and Graeme McDowell. https://slope-game.io