Abu Dhabi, UAE … Robert MacIntyre’s 2020 maiden Masters goal has been dealt a huge blow with an unknown hand injury possibly side-lining the young Scot from the three events on the ‘Middle East Swing’.
Scotland’s highest-ranked golfer has withdrawn from today’s (THUR) starting Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship ahead of visiting a Dubai hospital yesterday (Wednesday) for a second MRI on his righthand in four months after first being advised to undergo an MRI at last year’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
MacIntyre was advised straight after being crowned 2019 European Tour ‘Rookie of the Year’ on November 24th to take six weeks break from the game to allow the ‘wear-and-tear’ injury to heal.
MacIntyre did just that not touching a club over the Christmas Festive Season but no sooner had the 23-year arrived out in Dubai last week for a first practice session of the New Year and the pain returned.
Top-ranked Scot Robert MacIntyre
It’s meant pulling the plug on teeing-up in the UAE capital and in a first event since being crowned 2019 ‘Rookie of the Year’.
He went onto Twitter to advise: “Really disappointed to have to pull out this week. But I need another week to get myself back to full fitness before launching my 2020 campaign.”
Long-time coach, Davy Burns said: “Robert’s gutted. We all are.
“Robert had an MRI last September when we were down at Wentworth and now, he’s gone for another MRI this morning in Dubai.
“As far as I am aware, they don’t know exactly what the problem is whether it is ligament, bone against bone or whatever.
“He was told to take six weeks off and he never touched a club to we got to Dubai last week, and then just after one day the injury again flared so much so that come yesterday (Tuesday) there was no chance of him teeing-up here in Abu Dhabi.
“He’s in good hands as he’s seeing Doug Campbell and Ian Dunlop (Doctors working on the European Tour) but then Robert and all of us are guttered, as it’s a real shame.”
MacIntyre will remain in the UAE for the remainder of the week in the hope he will be fit enough to tee-up at next week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
And while Burns is hopeful MacIntyre will be given the medical all clear, there’s the bigger picture of earning an invitation into the April 9th commencing Masters at Augusta National.
MacIntyre is currently ranked 65th in the world and would need to be inside the top-50 as at March 30th to earn a maiden Masters invitation.
Burns said: “It will all depend on the results of the MRI now what we do next week and the week after, as he’s down to play all three events out here in the Middle East.
“The thing is also that one or two good finishes here these three weeks and Robert could have secured a Masters invitation.
“We’ve been working hard and focussing in the bigger picture in these coming three weeks of qualifying for the Masters but now we don’t know.
“It’s very disappointing and all we can do is keep fingers crossed.”
