Saudi Arabia … “Get me out of here!”
Disappointgly the words of top-ranked Scot Robert MacIntrye after crashing out of the Saudi International.
And MacIntyre’s quest to drive down Magnolia Lane for a first occasion next April again comes under an injury cloud with the 23-year old revealing he continues to be restricted in playing his ‘better-and-butter’ shots.
Top world-ranked Scot in despair not knowing what has seriously gone wrong following his 2019 ‘Rookie of the Year’ brilliant maiden season and now heading home in missing the Saudi International cut. (Photo @tourmiss)
The Oban lefty looked a walking spectator in posting a second round 71 for a two-over par tally and miss the Saudi halfway cut with a three-over par total and 13 shots more than Frenchman and now Dundee resident, Victor Perez.
All that seem to concern MacIntyre was jumping aboard the first flight out of Jeddah and back home to the UK after two rounds that included five birdies but also eight bogeys over the two days.
MacIntyre said: “I’m just looking forward to getting home, that’s all I can say.
“I’m walking down with four holes to go today thinking to myself ‘get me out of here’ and that’s an attitude I’ve never had. But it’s all because my body’s not in the right place just now
“I didn’t enjoy it this week. I can’t really commit to shots. It was the same last week but I just had the short game to back me up then so I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
And while MacIntyre is determined there is no pain in his left hand, there is clearly something physically wrong and as Graeme McDowell feared a week ago in speaking with www.golfbytourmiss.com and after playing the opening two Dubai Desert Classic rounds alongside the young Scot.
MacIntyre said: “I’ve just got to get things sorted out before I come back out.
”I finally found how to drive the ball, I drove it well, but it’s the knockdown shots that are my bread and butter. I mean I hit a nine iron into the water on the 18th from right in the middle of the fairway, and the water is 30 yards left.
“I just can’t commit to certain shots and for me to do that while trying to compete.
“Watching Victor (Perez) today was unbelievable. I’m trying to play my best golf and I just can’t do that when I’ve not had time to work at it.
“I’m still trying to work things out and I don’t have time to work at it, I just need to go out there and play.
“My body is not allowing me to hit the shots. It’s just plain and simple, I need to get myself sorted out.”
MacIntyre’s next confirmed event is the February 20th commencing WGC – Mexico Championship and probably a penultimate event, and only if he should travel to Mexico City, prior to March 30th to be afforded a Masters invitation.
He said: “Whether I take a decent break and get my body sorted before I come back out, I don’t know. My next event is in Mexico and I’ve decided I’m not going to go there unless I’m fully fit. I can’t be dealing with it.
Mexico is the next one that I’m planning to play but if my body is not allowing me to hit shots I can’t compete with these guys.
“Trying to hit knockdown six irons when I can’t dig into the turf isn’t the way I want to play golf.
“It’s not the hand as there’s other things going on just now. The thing is I’ve never been injured in my life until now so obviously it works up the chain. The hand feels good, it’s just other parts of the body that aren’t working.
“I can’t really do any work, that’s my problem. I can’t stand on a range and batter balls because after 50 balls I start feeling it in my body.
“I just need to go home. I’m going to see a biomechanics guy to assess my technique to see if that’s got anything to do with my hand flaring up.
“So, I’ll go and get things sorted out then come back and hopefully play some better golf.”
