EXCLUSIVE ....
Top-Scot Robert MacIntyre has arrived in La Quinta eagerly looking forward to building on last week’s ‘rusty’ PGA Tour career opener in Hawaii.
MacIntyre birdied the last in a closing round 67 to finish at seven-under and just outside the top-50 in the event won by American Grayson Murray, who holed a monster birdie at the first play-off to capture a second Tour title and just over six-years after his first.
The Oban lefty MacIntyre admitted to be a little rusty following the end of play and after a first formal tournament in some six weeks since missing the halfway cut in the Australian Open in Sydney.
EXCLUSIVE ….
Top 🏴 @robert1lefty @GlencruittenG @bouncespmgt @ArnoldClark happy to shake off early new season rust & play all four rounds @SonyOpenHawaii 👍
Now onto @theamexgolf
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— Golf & Science News (@TOURMISS) January 15, 2024
MacIntyre said: “It was my first tournament as a full PGA Tour member, so a great positive start in playing all four rounds.
“I didn’t play my best. Just lacked a little sharpness in my game. I just put that down to some rust and, given I’ve only had a couple of rounds in Orlando before flying out to Hawaii.
“It also great returning to Hawaii as it brought back good memories having played out here in my college days. Hawaii is beautiful though a lot busier than when I as last”.
MacIntyre’s effort has seen him join the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings at 87th while his World Ranking remains No. 58 heading into Thursday’s starting American Express, an event formerly known in the ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s as the Bob Hope Desert Classic.
The rustiness in his game is evident in checking MacIntyre’s stats for last week, ranked 99th off the tee with an average drive of 299.7-yards, 70th in greens in regulation while it was a decent showing with the putter to be ranked T50th in total putts.
And in contrast to Hawaii, it will be a first visit to Palm Springs for MacIntyre with the $US 8.4m event to be played over three courses at La Quinta.
He said: “This week is all new, and it’s going to be the case for most of the events I’ll play this year.
“The good thing is I feel comfortable. I played 13 events over here in the US back in 2021, and there’s a good few Europeans competing as there were last week in Hawaii.
“I’m comfortable here and that’s going to help me a lot”.
As MacIntyre indicated ahead of Hawaii, he’s playing this week in La Quinta and then next week’s Farmers Insurance Open along the Pacific Ocean cliff tops to the north of San Diego.
