Dubai, UAE …
Top-Scot Robert MacIntyre edges ever-closer to a maiden Masters invitation after a gutsy top-10 showing at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic
MacIntyre battled the windy conditions in grabbing four birdies in a level par 72 for a five-under par tally and a superb share of eighth place.
Top Scot Robert MacIntrye finishes a gallant share of eighth in the 2020 Omega Dubai Desert. (Photo @tourmiss)
The Oban lefty’s effort, and after injury forced him out of last week’s first event of the New Year in nearby Abu Dhabi, was just four shots shy of the play-off.
Lucas Herbert brilliantly celebrated Australia Day winning the 31st hosting of tournament, and in his 50th Tour event, with a birdie at the second extra play-off after he and South African rival Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and each posting 68s, finished regulation play tied at nine-under par.
The Aussie is the fourth ‘down under’ golfer to come out on top in the past four weeks with wins also on the Australasian, Asian and PGA Tours.
Also, the toughened conditions to greet this year’s field got the result the Tour sought with the nine-under winning tally being the highest ever in the history of the event and 15 shots fewer than Bryson DeChambeau record-setting mark of 24-under par a year ago.
DeChambeau struggled fighting a virus to bogey his closing three holes in a 76 to finish tied with MacIntyre.
MacIntyre commenced the week as the World No. 67 and his March 30th deadline drive to earn a maiden Masters invitation should see him jump to a career high of No. 62.
A year ago, MacIntyre was ranked a lowly 247th in the world.
He said: “I am going to pick up a few more place on the World Rankings which is good but then I am a long-way off from the Masters. I have some good events coming up and I just need to work hard on the game.
“Overall, it was a decent finish and again I was going for gold, as I always do. I had a lot of opportunities in the middle of my round but I just couldn’t get the ball close enough to the hole.
“It’s my first week out and to finish top-10 has made for a heck of a week. I was firstly just trying to make the cut and that was goal, so to finish top-10 is a real plus.”
MacIntyre, and straight into 57th on the Race to Dubai, will join seven Tartan colleagues teeing-up in this week’s second Saudi Invitational and with the addition of the prolific winning American foursome of Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Phil Mickelson certain to offer plenty of Ranking points.
Bounce Sports’ Iain Stoddard revealed he’s seeking an invitation for his young charger into next fortnight’s Tiger Woods hosted Genesis Invitational at Riviera ahead of MacIntyre teeing-up in the following week’s WGC – Mexico Championship.
Craigielaw’s Grant Forrest was in position for his brightest finish on Tour but never recovered from an eighth hole double-bogey in a closing 75 and eventually settle for three-under total and a share of 16th.
Forrest, who played in the company of Open Champ, Shane Lowry said: “It was brutal out there. It’s one thing having wind but when it is changing direction every few seconds, it means there’s a lot of luck involved and we didn’t get that today.
“I hit a lot of good golf shots, but got nothing out of them. It was just one of those days.
“It was nice to finish with a birdie and, to be honest, that was a bit of a consolation as I hit my second shot off the heel and when it’s into the wind left to right I thought it was in the water the whole way.”
Forrest did jump 18 spots to be now lying 28th after four events this new season on the Race to Dubai.
