There are many ways to pass the time on a long-haul flight. If you’re anything like this correspondent, for instance, you’ll possibly spend it peering nervously out of the window at a rivet on the plane’s wing and convincing yourself that it’s slowly loosening with every shoogling shudder of mild turbulence.
As for globe-trotting golfers? Well, many of them while away the hours by performing a Q&A session on their social media sites and responding to all manner of questions from the public, whether it’s about their favourite club in the bag or the state of the rivets on the aircraft’s wing.
Given that he’s embarked on a mighty trek from Florida to Singapore this week, Robert MacIntyre could’ve had time to give a definitive answer to the meaning of life itself.
His golfing life, meanwhile, is pretty good. “I dreamed of playing at this level but never thought I’d get here,” he said to one particular question from his adoring fanbase. “Now we are here, we don’t stop.”
In this game, there’s barely time to draw breath. After a fine ninth place finish in the Players Championship at Sawgrass on Sunday night, MacIntyre hopped on a flight bound for the far east as the headline act at this week’s Porsche Singapore Classic.
The world No 14 is the highest ranked player in the opening event of the DP World Tour’s Asian Swing. Despite the rigours of a journey that was almost 23 hours, the Oban man is confident he’ll get into that swing
“I had a trip similar to it to Dubai from Hawaii earlier this season,” said the 28-year-old upon his arrival at the Laguna National resort. “I think it’s such a big time difference that I will be alright this week. It's a long flight, but it's part of our job, part of the schedule.”
Everything seems to be running to schedule too as MacIntyre builds up a head of steam for the opening major of the year, the Masters, at Augusta National next month.
Prior to his sturdy showing at Sawgrass, MacIntyre had finished in a share of 11th in another elite field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Over the past couple of weeks, the Scot has pocketed over $1 million in prize money. His wallet was probably hit with an excess baggage charge for the flight to southeast Asia.
“It’s massive,” he said of his pre-Masters momentum not his wallet. “I'm starting to work out what is working for me and how to prepare week to week and the team around me is starting to work out the same thing.”
That team, which includes his swing coach, Simon Shanks, putting guru, Mike Kanski, and his caddie, Mike Burrow, all assembled for a training camp at Isleworth before his purposeful push in Florida recently.
“That worked and that’s the plan over the next wee while,” he said of the benefits of this gathering.
The proof was in the Players Championship pudding as MacIntyre inched his way into contention on a stop-start final day that was disrupted by a storm.
“When I birdied 17 on Sunday, I thought that if I could birdie 18 and get to 10-under I had a chance to win as anything can happen on that stretch,” he said of his late assault.
“I didn’t (make that birdie on 18), but it’s my job at the start of the week to be in with a chance to win come Sunday and I gave it my best. Just competing against the best in the world and actually having a chance to win was pleasing.”
All of this, of course, means that MacIntyre remains in fine fettle as the drive up Magnolia Lane looms.
"On the mental side of it, I think I'm ready to give myself a chance at a major," added MacIntyre, who has three-top 10 finishes in various majors down the years and was 12th and 23rd in his previous two Masters outings. "That is all I can ask for.
"You dream of winning golf tournaments, dream of winning majors but you just want chances to win these events. If you get in that position, just go for it. That’s how I play golf."
While his native Scotland basks in some lovely spring sunshine, it’s hosing it down over in Singapore.
“Hopefully, the weather's not too bad over the next couple of days, and we can go out there and compete,” he added.
All roads will then lead to Augusta. After a couple of long-haul flights, of course.
