Bob MacIntyre has joined the DP World Tour on an historic first visit to the Land of the Rising Sun looking to arrest his flagging World Ranking.
MacIntyre is among six Scots teeing-up in the inaugural ISPS Handa Championship Japan, being played in Omitama around a 90-minute drive north-east of Tokyo.
It’s been five weeks since the struggling Oban lefty last competed and that was a new season best in his seventh event of a share of seventh at the Magical Kenya Open, though there’s been little magic since, including failing to qualify for a third straight Masters.
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre (Photograph – DP World Tour/Getty)
There was an impressive 5 & 3 Sunday Singles win over Swede Alex Noren, and a member of the 2018 winning Ryder Cup team, but in a losing GB&I side in January’s inaugural Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi.
MacIntyre tees-up in Japan as the World No. 98, having slowly dropped on the rankings following his jump from 110th in the world to No. 68 seven months ago in defeating reigning US Open champ, Matt Fitzpatrick in a play-off for the Italian Open.
A missed cut this week would see MacIntyre, and a player who clearly wears his heart on his sleeve, drop outside the top-100 for a first time since winning last September on this September’s Ryder Cup host course.
He said: “I’m trying not to worry as much.
“There are little things we are doing within my team to battle the outcome. It’s just about committing to what you are doing and not worrying about it. Just commit to every shot and hope it’s good.
“This will be the first week of doing something slightly different during tournament rounds. I’ll let you know how it is going with the results. I’m sure you’ll be able to see how the attitude is on the golf course.
“It’s not easy at all to put it into play but you have to try.
“It’s just a grading of how my attitude and temperature is with each shot, each hole, because I get hot and it carries on to the next hole and it causes me serious problems in a round of golf. Just trying to cut out the mental mistakes.”
Aside from battling the space between his ears, the Scot says he’s hoping work on his putting will also help.
He said: “The putter wasn’t quite there but we have done some good work over the break on that. Hopefully it shows this week.
“It’s about building momentum, confidence. Last year I felt that I wasn’t playing great, changed coaches, started playing well but wasn’t getting the results and I started doubting.
“I feel like I’ve been playing well, have taken a break, hopefully come back refreshed and ready to go.”
In this 51st anniversary year of the DP World Tour, Japan is also 51st different country to host a DP World Tour event this week, with PGM Ishioka Golf Club hosting the action in an event co-sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation.
MacIntyre said: “It’s massive to be playing all across the world, it’s so important to grow the game, have guys from all across the world competing against each other.
“Japan, look at the players they have had over the years. It’s great to be here to compete.”
And with European players having won 10 of 21 events on the 2022/23 wraparound PGA Tour schedule, including Jon Rahm capturing the Masters and Fitzpatrick winning last Sunday, it can only help inspire MacIntyre in making his European team debut later this year.
He said: “It’s brilliant for the DP World in seeing Jon and Matt win, and just great for European golf as a whole.”
