MacIntyre Expresses Disappointment But His Players Effort Very Much Boosts Augusta National Aspirations.

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Top-ranked Scot Robert MacIntyre superbly boosted his Masters aspirations producing a brilliant rousing final round, ending just three shots of victory in the Players Championship at Ponte Vedra in Florida.

MacIntyre headed into the final day of the PGA Tour’s flagship wearing a very eye-catching bright orange-like Nike shirt lying five shots off the lead, superbly saving the best for the final round by muscling his way to within just one shot of the lead with only five holes to play.

After picking-up six birdies over his opening 15 holes, the Oban lefty hit a poor second shot into the par-5 16th green before sending his third into water before walking off with a gut-wrenching bogey ‘6’.

MacIntyre then parred the closing two holes in a final round 69 to eventually end in fourth place at 10-under.

American Cameron Young birdied the infamous par-3 17th to tie then course leader Matt Fitzpatrick at 13-under but with Fitzpatrick missing a par putt at the last for Young to walk-off with a championship winning par for a 13-under-par success and his good friend second on 12-under.

Sweden’s Ludwig Aberg, and with his family visiting from Sweden and watching on from behind the TPC Sawgrass ropes, disappointingly witnessed him let slip a three-shot final round lead in posting a horror final nine-hole effort in a round of 76 and tumble into a share of fifth place at nine-under.

MacIntyre’s effort of fourth is a best in his six new season events and taking in mind he finished T4th in his first tournament of the 2026 season at the Sony Hawaiian Open.

Take nothing away from MacIntyre’s impressive showing in America’s 50th State but his last day effort in the Sunshine State was the level of golf that he sought and particularly with the year’s first Major Championship just a month away.

MacIntyre was asked his thoughts post his Players final round.

“It was stressful,“ said MacIntyre.  “I was actually struggling to breathe early in the back nine. Yeah, it’s what I want to do. It’s where I want to compete.

“Obviously last year was a big wake-up call for me in order to know that I can really compete at the top end of world golf. I had a chance today to do something very special that obviously Sandy (Lyle – 1987 Players Champion)  was the last one to do it from our country.

“Yeah, coming into that back nine, middle of that back nine I really thought I was in with a shout.

“The way I’m playing, driving it beautifully, putting unbelievable, it was just a matter of getting that ball inside 30 feet and then looking out. Yeah, just disappointed with the bogeys on the back nine to finish, but yeah, I gave it a shot“.

The World No. 8 headed into the final round of the Tour’s flagship event at seven-under trailing five shots from the front before making a first move, two-putting the par-5 second hole from 34-feet for his first birdie of the round.

MacIntyre produced a super second into the par-4 fourth hole, going close to an eagle ‘2’ with his ball stopping two-foot from the cup for a third birdie in just four holes.

A wayward drive left at the sixth hole was MacIntyre’s first bogey of the day ahead of him claiming a Players first all week in the Tour’s premier event and that being in holing a super 30-footer for birdie at the par-3 eighth hole to move to nine-under in total.

MacIntyre then found the par-5 ninth hole in two and brilliantly moved two-putting from 70-foot for a birdie ‘4’ for a fourth birdie of his round to move to 10-under and into a share of third.

The Oban lefty faced a knee-knocker 10-footer to save par at the par-4 10th but kept his cool holing the putt to remain at 10-under and retain his then share third place on the leaderboard.

He moved to 11-under at the par-5 11th hole after MacIntyre again found the green in two ahead of two-putting from 38-yards for a birdie ‘4’.

MacIntyre parred both the 12th and 13th holes staying at 11-under though minutes later he was back to 10-under following a three-putt bogey from 68-feet at the par-4 14th. Though it was no comfort to MacIntyre to know the 14th was playing the hardest hole on the course.

Despite a look of somewhat despair walking off 14 there was delight walking off the 15th after having found a fairway bunker down the right of the fairway and the Scot landing his second to 22-feet from the pin.  MacIntyre’s birdie putt did not look like missing and MacIntyre raising his arm in delight and the crowd roaring with delight.

Now three holes to play and three of the toughest on the Tour schedule.

Disappointingly, MacIntyre played a poor second shot into the par-5 16th, finding his ball in a horror lie from where his third shot came out hot and running off the green, into the water running the entire lenght down the right side of the hole.


MacIntyre took a ‘fourth’ penalty shot leaving him around 50-feet from the pin ahead of a two-putt bogey.

“Sixteen for me, I was between clubs. I couldn’t get there. I tried to hit a hard 7-wood in there or a 3-wood comes in too hot“, he said.

“I was wanting to draw it, but in the back of my mind I’m like, just lay it up the left side and worst case scenario you’ll make 5. But I got the worst lie that I could possibly get all week in a kind of a little valley where the mowers couldn’t get to it and it was six, seven inches long.

“It’s a sore one right now, but yeah, 17 and 18 we still played aggressive but smart. That was the caddie’s words. I was wanting to go straight at that pin on 17, just throw the dice at it.

“But at the end of the day, it’s a good week. I wouldn’t have wanted to walk off there with a bogey on 16, a double on 17, and then probably a bogey on 18 with my head off. Overall decent week, just with a chance.“

It was a cruel blow and he showed that in making his way to the infamous par-3 17th and the hole that he had birdied a day earlier.  MacIntyre played a SW to some 33-feet left of the flag ahead of two-putt par.

At three shots shy of the lead MacIntyre was now playing for position and did so with a closing hole par handing him a then clubhouse share of second, and one behind last round playing partner Xander Schauffele.

In the tournament wash-up MacIntye finished fourth earning a cool $1.225m and also jumping 19 places to No. 20 on the FedEx Cup standings.

MacIntyre now heads to the Florida west coast where he currently finds himself the top-ranked teeing-up Thursday’s starting $9.1m Valspar Championship.

 

 

 

 



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