Robert MacIntyre is having a 2024 to remember, with the Scot picking up the RBC Canadian Open, before then claiming his home title at the Genesis Scottish Open a week before the final men's Major of 2024.
Playing The 152nd Open Championship, MacIntyre actually came into the week as one of the favorites following his win at The Renaissance Club but, on the wrong side of the draw at Royal Troon, the Scot did well just to make the weekend, as he battled back from a poor start on Friday.
Certainly, it has been a drama-packed event for the 27-year-old and, on Saturday at his final hole, it continued, as MacIntyre was forced to play his second into the 18th right-handed after his tee shot left him in an awkward spot with a fairway bunker.
Robert MacIntyre has just played a shot RIGHT-HANDED 👀 pic.twitter.com/feNZGBi8dRJuly 20, 2024
Pushing his drive at the last, it came to rest to the left of the fairway bunker which, usually, would be no problem for a right-handed golfer. However, being one of the few lefties at The Open, MacIntyre was forced into a difficult decision as to what to do next.
Realistically, his options were to chip down the fairway, into the rough, or play right-handed, with the Scot eventually deciding to do the latter... Pulling out an iron, the right-handed swing looked amazing for a left-hander and, to be fair to MacIntyre, the strike wasn't half bad either! Even if it did end up next to the grandstands on the right hand side.
What's more, following relief from the stand, he played a glorious pitch shot that finished under three-feet away, with the following putt meaning he finished the day with an outrageous par and a one-over-par third round of 72.
"I got a good bit of luck (on 18). Missed the bunker and then you get up there and you've got no shot. I couldn't even stand in the bunker and hit it," stated MacIntyre following his third round.
"I just thought, why not hit it right-handed. As long as it was up the right, it was fine. The only place I couldn't go was left, so I kind of aimed at the right TV tower and just put a swing on it. As long as I hit the club face it was going to be all right. I would have done one (right-handed swing) probably recently, but full swipe at it, I've not done one, I don't think, in my life.
As mentioned, just to make it into the weekend MacIntyre had to dig deep, with the PGA Tour winner birdieing four of his final 12 holes to shoot five-over-par and be inside the cutline by a single stroke.
Earlier in his second round, MacIntyre started triple bogey-bogey-bogey-triple bogey, to all but drop him out of contention and, potentially, the weekend. However, he dug in and, thanks to a fine finish, he ended up making into Saturday and Sunday to keep his 100% record of making the cut at The Open intact.
