Robert MacIntyre has Tiger Woods to thank for a shot at this week’s WGC – FedEx St. Jude Invitational $1.745m (£stg 1,578,160) first prize cheque in Memphis, Tennessee.
MacIntyre and Irish-born caddy Greg Milne have been self-isolating in the Los Angeles region for the past fortnight ahead of this week’s first ultra-lucrative WGC event since the June 11th Stateside return to competition.
Scotland No.. 1 Robert MacIntyre pretty chuffed to be included in this week’s WGC – FedEx St. Jude Invitational
Scotland’s top-ranked MacIntyre was first reserve when the elite 78-player field was announced late last Friday U.S. time and with his Bounce Sports Management team confirming news via Twitter the soon-to-be 24-year old (August 3rd) will now be making his debut in the $US 10.5m event.
“Following all the weekend’s tournaments and the updated OWGR, we are delighted to confirm @robert1lefty is the last man in to @WGCFedEx,” tweeted his management company, Bounce Sports, this morning.
“He will also play @PGAChampionship the following week….14 days of quarantining suddenly seems worthwhile.”
The Oban lefty, who chose to skip the British Masters, was afforded a special US Government dispensation for he and his caddy to head to the U.S. and they’ve found their way into the Memphis field when Woods chose to withdraw from the no-cut event, and instead focus on the following week’s first Major Championship of 2020 commencing August 6th on the TPC Harding course in San Francisco.
Woods said on his Twitter account: “Disappointed to miss @WGCFedEx,” Woods wrote on Twitter, “but doing what I think is best to prepare me for the @PGAChampionship and upcoming FedEx Cup playoffs.”
Woods’ Memphis no-show now becomes MacIntyre’s chance at singing the victory tune in the Land of the Delta Blues, and in an event still boasting 18 of of the world’s top-20 with World No. 1 Adam Scott and Woods at No. 15, the only two outside the 20.
“It was a pretty anxious few days, so Greg and I were really pleased to learn the news I’ll be teeing-up in Memphis,” said MacIntyre.
“My management team had been speaking with organisers of the Barracuda Championship as I could have been extended an sponsor’s invitation as a back-up if I did not get into the WGC, so that was very good of them.
“I’ve been practicing a lot back home in Scotland since the lifting of the golfing lockdown but then it’s been a good few month’s since I last had a competition scorecard in my hand.
“I’m just so pleased this week has worked-out now as we had planned and really just looking forward very much to getting going in the FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
“It’s also my first time contesting the event, so that makes it even more exciting.”
The current World No. 81st ranked MacIntyre has not competed since March 8th in finishing well down the field in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and with the four-months enforced lay-off coming as a blessing in allowing a long nagging wrist injury to heal.
Last year’s European Tour ‘Rookie of the Year’ will also compete next week in a maiden PGA Championship and also just a second Major Championship of his career having grabbed a superb share of sixth at last year’s Open Championship.
Iain Stoddard, and his Bounce Sports manager, indicated MacIntyre will be returning home to Scotland following his two week Stateside golfing sojourn.
And while MacIntyre gets to tee-up in Memphis, crestfallen Russell Knox has ventured to the Barracuda Championship now having missed a terrible 10 halfway cuts in succession.
Knox has also dropped a further seven places to be ranked 183rd in the world.
