It just gets more bizarre for top-ranked Scot Robert MacIntyre who is now up to World No. 52 on the rankings.
MacIntyre has moved up one place with the release tomorrow morning (MON) of ‘Week 2’ of the 2021 rankings and again with the Scot not hitting a shot.
In fact, the Oban lefty has jumped four places since his final event in 2021 and that was a month ago at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai without having a club in his hand.
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and now up to World No. 52 and again without playing a shot.
MacIntyre is still 11 days away from making his 2021 competition debut in Abu Dhabi and could very well find himself inside the top-50 come next Monday ahead of the season-opener in the UAE capital.
It would mean he only has to keep himself inside the top-50 by the last week in March and he will be making a maiden Masters debut.
While MacIntyre is rubbing his hands with glee, World No. 3 Justin Thomas will be digging deep into his pockets to pay a hefty fine for an outburst caught on TV during the third round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
Thomas, 26 and defending champion, missed a short putt on the fourth hole at Kapalua and letting out an anti-gay homophobic slur.
He said: “There’s just no excuse. I’m an adult, I’m a grown man. There’s absolutely no reason for me to say anything like that. It’s terrible.
“I’m extremely embarrassed. It’s not who I am. It’s not the kind of person that I am. But unfortunately, I did it and I have to own up to it and I’m very apologetic.
“Like I said, it’s inexcusable. I’m speechless. It’s bad. There’s no other way to put it.
“I need to do better. I need to be better. It’s definitely a learning experience. I deeply apologise to everybody and anybody who I offended and I’ll be better because of it.”
The PGA Tour later spoke with Thomas ahead of issuing a statement: “As he expressed after his round, we agree that Justin’s comment was unacceptable.”
It will not save Thomas being fined for his outburst but then the Tour will not be releasing any details of the amount
Scot Martin Laird headed into the final round of the opening PGA Tour event of 2021 at 13-under par and shared 16th place five shots behind the leading American pair of Ryan Palmer and Harris English.
Palmer also was spoken to following his third day 64 after an incident on the ninth hole where he ‘chunked’ a chip shot but was then seen kicking away loose soil as his ball came rolling back to him.
It was felt Palmer could have been breaching the rule of improving his lie as his ball was about 10-feet away.
