Well, have you picked your jaw up from the floor yet? In a quite staggering finale to the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance last night, Robert MacIntyre became the first Scot in 25 years to win the domestic showpiece. You can breathe out now.
As Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t quite gasp: “Golf …bloody hell.” A year after being pipped on the final green by Rory McIlroy’s barnstorming blitz, MacIntyre conjured the kind of finish that grandstands were invented for to edge out the gallant Adam Scott by a single shot on 18-under and fulfil his destiny.
It was another magical moment in a young career that continues to be packed full of them.
As the clock ticked-tocked towards 8pm – these pesky US television broadcast times are a real menace - the national anthems over at the Euro 2024 final in Germany were just about to get tootled out.
MacIntyre’s birdie putt of some 20-feet on the 18th for a 67 ensured that the Flooer of Scotland blared around the Renaissance, though. No Scotland, no party? The knees-up could begin.
“I think I lost my voice after the scream on that hole,” beamed MacIntyre, who roared himself hoarse amid emotional, delirious scenes that will live long in the memory.
“I'm going to celebrate this one hard,” added the reigning Canadian Open champion, who became the second Scot to win on the tour in a week after Ewen Ferguson’s victory in Germany last Sunday. “We'll pitch up to The Open when we pitch up to The Open.”
MacIntyre is pencilled in for a pre-Open press conference in the Royal Troon media centre today. They may just have to do it from his bed. “There’s no way I’ll be there by 3pm,” he chuckled.
In this game, you need a bit of luck. And, my goodness, MacIntyre, who had trundled in a raking birdie putt of 40-feet on the 14th to give himself hope, got a mighty slice of it just when things seemed to be slithering towards an anti-climax.
On a topsy turvy afternoon of fluctuating fortunes at the sharp end of affairs, the Oban lefty’s wayward drive on the par-5 16th buried itself in the knee-high hay down the right-hand side of the fairway. It didn’t look good.
During an extraordinarily fortuitous episode, however, MacIntyre discovered a sprinkler head nestling in the thick stuff after taking a practice swing and was given a free drop following much humming and hawing. He’ll probably need to donate half of his £1.2 million first prize to the golfing gods.
“Look, I got a bit of luck on 16,” he said. “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, I might manage to move it maybe 100 yards’.
“I couldn't believe when I heard a spring under my foot where my (shoe) spike was at and I'm like ‘no way’. It was covered. I got lucky. It was meant to be.”
From 247-yards away, the Scot clattered a rip-roaring 6-iron approach to within six-feet to set up the most unlikely eagle opportunity.
MacIntyre grabbed it with total authority and rolled in the subsequent putt. Rory McIlroy got a plaque on the Renaissance’s club’s 18th to commemorate his 2-iron approach to the final green last year.
Presumably, they’ll be erecting a marble statue in the 16th rough to immortalise MacIntyre’s wondrous whack?
That eagle propelled him into a share of the lead with Scott, who was playing in the match ahead. Suddenly, the title was back in his sights and a challenge that appeared to be petering out was re-ignited.
Up in front, Scott, the former Masters champion who was aiming for his first tour victory since 2020, set the clubhouse target with a 67 for 17-under.
The Australian could only sit in the recording hut, twiddle his thumbs and wait to see what MacIntyre would do up the last. He wasn’t the only one on tenterhooks.
The home, tartan-tinged galleries must have been nibbling their nails into calloused stumps as he unleashed a drive, then plonked a wedge onto the green.
Unlike last year, when MacIntyre had to look on helplessly to see what McIlroy would do, he had his fate in his own hands.
He seized the moment with grand aplomb and his ball seemed to be sooked into the hole by the collective will of East Lothian. It was a joyous moment.
“I actually had a tear in my eye before I hit the putt,” admitted MacIntyre, as he reflected on the magnitude of the occasion.
“I had to go to Mike (his caddie) to get my water and try to reset. But I was getting emotional and had to say, ‘you've still got a job to do here’.”
The job was a good ‘un, though. MacIntyre had been two behind overnight leader, Ludvig Aberg, going into the final day, but the closing round was something of a slow burner. It certainly caught fire on the run-in.
“I said to Mike when we walked off of 10, ‘16 or 17 could win this',” said MacIntyre who demonstrated, once again, his never say die attitude. “No one was getting away. No one was making a move.
“The one thing I can do is give 110 percent and that's what I've done. I took the one chance I got on 18, and it's just my week.”
With Scott the runner-up, fast-finishing Frenchman, Romain Langasque claimed third with a 64 while Aberg drifted back into a tie for fourth after a 73.
It was all about MacIntyre, though. Next stop. The Open. “How do I come down from this?” he said. “I don't think I will. I think I will just try and ride the wave to The Open.”
We’ll see him there. Whenever that may be?
