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AAP
AAP
Darren Walton

Ryder Cup star joins impressive summer golf fields

European Ryder Cup hero Robert MacIntyre is the latest heavyweight to join the star-studded fields for Australia's two flagship summer golf tournaments in Brisbane and Sydney.

MacIntyre has committed to both the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland from November 23-26 and the Australian Open the following week.

The 27-year-old's appearance comes after MacIntyre made a memorable Ryder Cup debut in Europe's victory over the USA in Italy in September, going undefeated as an automatic selection.

Ranked 54th, the Scot is hoping strong performances in the two "Australian majors" will help him regain a top-50 spot which would guarantee starts at all four major championships in 2024.

He is especially keen to book a ticket to the US Masters at Augusta in April.

"Hopefully if I can notch up a win in the next two events, then it would give me a bit of a bit of a cushion," he said.

"It's just about picking up as many points in the world rankings, getting to Augusta."

A winner of the 2022 Italian Open and runner-up to Rory McIlroy at this year's Scottish Open, MacIntyre ranks playing in national championships, including the Australian Open for the first time, as career highlights.

"That's where the most prestige comes in golf, from a lot of national opens," he said.

"We've got Scottish Opens, French Opens, Spanish opens, obviously the Australian Open and I think they're massive for our sport.

"And for me, if I can get my hands on certain national titles, I think it's even more special.

"Within Europe, you see guys like Seve (Ballesteros), like (Jose Maria) Olazabal, so many guys who have won national titles at such a high level.

"It's just dreamy. You dream of it as kids to get in positions to win these tournaments."

Ranked eighth in the DP World Tour's season-long Race to Dubai standings and on track to gain a US PGA Tour card, MacIntyre also hopes to use the Australian Open as a springboard to major glory, like McIlroy and Jordan Spieth have.

McIlroy won two majors in 2014, after winning the Australian Open the previous year.

Spieth did the same the following year after etching his name on the Stonehaven Cup in 2014.

"There's been some great examples in the past of players winning in Australia and then going on to big things in the following year," MacIntyre said.

MacIntyre joins a raft of big names returning to Australia this summer, including major winners Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, Minjee Lee, Hannah Green and defending men's Open champion Adrian Meronk from Poland.

The Open, being co-hosted by The Australian and The Lakes golf clubs, is again being staged in a dual-gender format from December 3-6.

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