While double PGA Tour winning Scot admits while he’s become more selfish and protective of his time away from inside the ropes, it’s now all about winning golf’s major championships.
MacIntyre arrived into Dubai near midday local time Tuesday following a long haul flight from Hawaii via Dallas and into Dubai to tee-up in this week’s DP World Tour season-opener at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
The Oban lefty kick-started a second full PGA Tour season with a respective T15th and T53rd effort at The Sentry Championship and last week’s Sony Open both staged in Hawaii.
“BACK INTO ALL FOUR MAJORS BUT A BIT MORE SELFISH” …
Says top @robert1lefty @ArnoldClark @GlencruittenG teeing-up this week’s $9m @DubaiDCGolf #RolexSeries @EmiratesGC
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— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) January 15, 2025
MacIntyre said: “The body feels fine and it was almost enough of a time difference (UAE 14 hours ahead of Hawaii) not to really affect you. I didn’t have any jet lag. Played nine holes as soon as I go here. I had a nice dinner. Went back to my hotel and slept perfectly.
“Though I love this place. This golf tournament and it is worth coming”
MacIntyre contested a pro career record of 30 events last year starting in Hawaii and ending in accepting an invitation to compete in the Tiger Woods hosted Hero World Challenge in The Bahamas.
Though that will not be the scenario this year for the current World No. 14, who will return to Augusta National for a first time since 2022 and also hopes to earn a second straight European Ryder Cup team cap.
MacIntyre said: “I’m playing great just now, just need to roll the rock. It’s getting there.
“We are working on a few things, a few changes while I’ve also set my goals for this year, but they are not so much about winning golf tournaments or doing this or that. It’s just little personal goals that we keep within the team and, if you tick them off, the results will follow.
“The expectation changes all the time and more critics, more this, more that. But, at the end of the day, it’s all down to me and the team around me. You don’t take criticism from people you wouldn’t take advice from. The people I have in my time are the ones I’ll take criticism from and I’ll take criticism from family. Other than that, I couldn’t give a damn.
“Now the majors are the ones I am trying to win. I’m in them all this year. They are not going to be shocks to the system in terms of the players you are playing against because you are playing against them week in, week out on the PGA Tour. You are getting more comfortable, so it (winning majors) becomes possible, to be honest with you”.
Now playing in marquee groups ….
As has been much the scenario since winning in both Canada and on home soil last July at the Renaissance Club, MacIntyre has found himself in the marquee groups and that’s no different this week on the host Emriates Golf Club course.
Indeed, he’ll play the first two rounds in the company of Masters champions Jon Rahm and Adam Scott, and Rahm bizarrely making his debut in the Dubai event.
MacIntyre said: “Playing in marquee groups gives you a level where you are fully switched on from the get go. You’ve got a bit more of a buzz, you’ve got a crowd.
“Early last year on the PGA Tour, I was like ‘am I getting finished today?’
But now you are in the big groups, you feel from the start there is an energy and I think as a player you need to feed off that”.
Has become a little more selfish …
And while MacIntyre’s sporting profile has changed dramatically, the quietly-spoken Scot insists he has not changed as an individual though admitting he has become a little more selfish.
He said: “I’ve not changed as a person, but I have in a professional way that I’ve become more selfish.
“I watch what the best players in the world do and I think that once you get to a certain level in golf, everyone is trying to get a piece of you and pull you in different directions.
“So me, Mike [Burrow – caddy] hand the people around me have just had to be a bit more selfish with time. Some people don’t like it, but time is valuable.
“And, if you are being pulled from pillar to post, then you’ve got no time to practice and it’s just part of the job we are in”.
Mending the bridges in the men’s pro game …
That was somewhat evident when asked if had any thoughts of hopefully seeing a long overdue mending of the many broken bridges in the men’s pro game.
He said: “I don’t even worry about that. I will play anywhere the best players in the world are playing”.
“Talks going on in mending the bridges in the men’s pro game is way above my baby. I will leave matters like that to the top guys to sort out”.
Decision on Genesis Invitational in aftermath of LA wildfires ….
And MacIntyre was also about the future of the next fortnight’s PGA Tour $US 20m Tiger Woods hosted Genesis Invitational being staged commencing January 30th at Pacific Palisades in wildfire average rural LA.
There has been calls to move the event away from the host Riviera course that went so close to burning down in fives that have claimed 15 lives and laid waste in the Palisades region to some 24,000 acres alone.
MacIntyre said: “Whether or not the golf tournament goes ahead at Riviera must be the least of the concerns or worries for those living in the area so terribly affected by the fires.
“People had died, thousands have lost their homes, their properties. The TV pictures have been absolutely horrific while the Riviera course was right in the heart of the fires and must have been so lucky to escape the wildfires.
“So, whatever the Tour decides to go ahead or move it or cancel it. I will support the decision. It is 110 per cent acceptable to me”,