Exclusive: MacIntyre Wins Over ‘Bethpage Ryder Cup’ Scenes Tossing Wrapped $20 Bills To Phoenix Open Fans.

7 months ago by Comments Off on Exclusive: MacIntyre Wins Over ‘Bethpage Ryder Cup’ Scenes Tossing Wrapped $20 Bills To Phoenix Open Fans.

Top-Scot Robert MacIntyre may have found a novel way to win over USA Ryder Cup fans later this year and that’s by tossing gifts of a wrapped Shinty shirt and a $20 bill to fans as he did during the WM Phoenix Open in Arizona.

MacIntyre posted a frustrating final round 67 for a three-way share of 6th place at 15-under but only after being three-under for his day through seven holes and then only managing to birdie just one of the remaining 11 holes and that being at the 12th on the host TPC Scottsdale course.

It is the Oban lefties first top-10 in his five events of the new season and with MacIntyre joining a number of fellow DP World Tour members waiting at the back of the 18th green to congratulate Belgium’s Thomas Detry who brilliantly broke through to comfortably capture a maiden PGA Tour victory.

Detry, 32, became only the third European-born, including Scotland’s Sandy Lyle in 1988 and Swede Jesper Parnevik in 1998, since the inaugural event in 1932 to win the Phoenix title and he did so shutting down any rival in birdieing his closing four holes in a last day 65 to comfortably win by seven shots at 24-under-par.

Among those waiting to congratulate Detry was not only his wife and two young children but England’s Matt Wallace who showered him with champers after finishing T44th, South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout. who shared fourth place at 16-under as well as Kiwi Ryan Fox, who had ended his round hours earlier in a share of 63rd place and also present, as mentioned, was MacIntyre.

MacIntyre and Detry are again set to team in late April’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the only team-format event on the PGA Tour.

Minutes earlier, MacIntyre ended his round and again capped when he arrived at the famed par-3 16th he was soon digging into his new Scottish-theme golf bag to pull out a #16 Oban Celtic Shinty guernsey and for a fourth occasion in playing 16th hole.

He was quietly applauded Thursday when he walked off with par, booed when he took bogey on Friday while he took a pair of pars over the weekend including landing Sunday’s effort some 20-feet from the flag and two-putting.

Robert MacIntye decked out in his Oban Celtic Shinty top hitting into the par-3 16th at the Phoenix Open.

Robert MacIntyre’s Oban Celtic gift packs on day one of the WM Phoenix Open.

You can see the Shinty shirt MacIntyre is throwing to fans at the Phoenix Open

As confirmed by TourMiss/Record Sport .. MacIntyre tossing an Oban Celtic shinty top and $20 to fans at the Phoenix Open

And in one of the more novel scenes in men’s pro golf there was the sight of MacIntyre, and after he had played his shot at the 16th,  grabbing a pre-prepared wrapped Oban Celtic shinty top that included also an Andrew Jackson $20 bill into an already well-watered and appreciative audience (see image immediately above).

He said: “This week has been a good test for when we get to Bethpage Park Black.  It’s just loud and impressive.

“I was thrilled to be there at 18 as there’s not many European guys out here as when we are playing in Europe there is good camaraderie.  We’ve got Matt (Wallace) here along with Ryan and Christiaan and the caddies, as well.

“Thomas has been close to winning a few times now, and it’s just incredible to see him get over the line”.

MacIntyre was then asked his reaction to playing the 16th hole over the four rounds.

He said:  “I tried my best all week.  You can either get overwhelmed by it or you can try and embrace it.  It was carnage all week, to be honest (smiling).

“To see Thomas win is much the same for everyone, including myself when I won, and all you can do is trust your mind and trust your instincts”.

The effort in the Grand Canyon State is also a fourth top-10 finish for MacIntyre in his 15th World Ranking counting events since his stunning second PGA Tour sanctioned success on home soil last July in the Genesis Scottish Open.

MacIntyre headed into the final round of his fifth event of the New Year inside the top-10 at 11-under and trailing a distant seven shots behind Detry.

After birdies at the first, fourth and seventh holes the Scot played one of the shots of his final round, a super 165-yard tee shot at the par-3 12th hole to just under two-feet before calmly to roll-in the birdie putt.

The effort saw MacIntyre move into a share of second with Spieth and fellow American Daniel Berger at 15-under but five shots adrift of Berger who minutes later who birdied the par-4 11th to go to 20-under.

Robert MacIntyre gives his wedge a toss after missing a chip-in on the 14th hole at TPC Scottsdale. Image NBC

There was a little Scottish frustration for MacIntyre with his 65-yard birdie attempt chip-shot from off the green at 14 just missing the cup by inches and with MacIntyre tossing his wedge into the air but failing to catch it and posting a second par in a succession and stay at 15-under.

MacIntyre then walked-off the par-5 15th again looking a touch frustrated before another par at 16 while there was yet more golfing hurt when he hit the hole with his birdie attempt at the next, the par-4 17th ahead of a regulation closing 72nd hole par.

MacIntyre now heads back to California for a second time in a fortnight for this week’s Tiger Woods hosted $20m Genesis Invitational at the Torrey Pines just to the north of San Diego.

And Woods has confirmed he will contest the event that will be a first World Ranking counting event since last July’s 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon.

 



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