…..Dubai, UAE
Bob MacIntyre brilliantly stamped his 2019 ‘Rookie of the Year’ victory credentials is laying down a 10-shot difference between his nearest rival heading to the final round of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
McIntyre, and after two days being more concerned on playing partner and American Kurt Kitayama, focussed on what he proudly termed ‘Bob’s Golf’ and in the process helping the 23-year old in posting a third round 68 for a three-under par tally on the Jumeirah Estates course.
The Oban lefty is now projected to end his rookie season a lucky 13th on the Race to Dubai and two places clear of Kitayama who slumped to second last place with a horror third round 77 and looking now to end alos his maiden season 15th on the money list.
The duo of Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera (69) and Spain’s Jon Rahm (66) head the 50-player field on 15-under par but only after Lorenzo-Vera, and chasing a first Tour victory, found the water up the final hole on route to a three-putt bogey.
Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre is now just one round away from becoming the 12th Scot in 59-years to be awarded the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title. (Photo – @tourmiss)
Rahm had the honour earlier this year of winning a second Spanish Open and Irish Open victories and has now put his big frame in the picture to win also a second DP World Tour title in three years.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy also brilliantly regrouped from Friday’s shock 74 to grab an eagle and five birdies in a score of 65 and thanks to Lorenzo-Vera’s last hole mishap, is just two back at 13-under.
McIlroy is chasing not only a fifth victory this year but a third win at the DP World that would be a first in his career in winning the same event three times.
McIlroy said: “I got off to a hot start again, 5-under through nine, and the back nine played a little tricky, so you know, to play that bogey-free was nice.
“I had a few chances that I didn’t quite convert. I probably should have birdied 15 and I would have liked to have birdied the last, but you know, I’ll take it.
“I’m not complaining. It was a good round of golf, and it gives me a good chance going into the final day.”
MacIntyre and Kitayama, he Las Vegas-based rival, played the opening two rounds alongside each other with the Scot shooting scores of 71 and 74 while Kitayama signed for rounds of 71 and 75.
But MacIntyre took full advantage on day three ‘moving day’ chipping-in at the first hole for the first of three straight birdies, and this time in the company of Spaniard Jorge Campillo.
MacIntyre made the turn in four-under and while he bogeyed 11, he grabbed a second birdie in three days at 16 before a huge break up the last when his second shot cannoned off rocks at the front of the green to land on the right side of the putting surface for a closing par.
Kitayama, and a double winner this year on Tour, continued to struggle with a bogey and double-bogey littered 77 to fall to second-last in the elite 50-player field and in the process virtually leaving his Scottish ‘rookie’ challange the mere task of handing in his scorecard
In fact, in MacIntyre’s 189 rounds and that includes 107 on the main European Tour and 82 on the secondary Challenge Tour, he’s never shot higher than a seven-over par 79 and that was in his second only Challenge Tour event at the 2016 Irish Challenge.
MacIntyre said: “Not playing alongside Kurt today, I could just step-up and go for my golf as the last two days I felt I was kind of always looking over my shoulder at what he was doing.
“I found myself watching everything he was doing and I just felt it was affecting my own play but not today, as I was playing ‘Bob’s Golf’ and that is the best golf I can play.
“So, to walk off four-under par for the round I have got to be happy.”
MacIntyre, and barring ending in a ‘golfing ambulance’, will be presented with his award following his final round and among those on hand to help celebrate will be his parents, Dougie and Carol.
Bizarrely, it will be on the only time, apart from arriving, having lunch and leaving, they will be together at the Jumeirah Estates.
He said smiling: “Mum and dad have been staying apart on course because mum is so positive but then dad gets a bit negative.
“I reckon I’m more my mum mindset wise. I’ve actually told my dad, ‘see if I’ve hit my first putt and it’s gone a fair bit by and I look up after marking it and see you, you are in trouble’ because it instantly comes into my head.
“I know what he’s thinking so he tries to get way out of the way once we get on to the greens. He tries to stay out of my eyesight.
“He always thinks the worst, but that’s just natural with my dad. He’s played sport at the top level. It’s a Scottish thing and my mum is definitely the positive one out of the two.”
And before heading to the range, MacIntyre was asked if he could now taste the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award.
He said, and again smiling: “No, I can’t taste it but once it’s all done, I am sure I will taste a wee beer at the end of it.”
MacIntyre will become the first Scot in 13-years to be handed the Sir Henry Cotton trophy and the 12th Tartan golfer in the 59-year history to be honoured with ‘Rookie of the Year’.
Other Scots to win the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award include Marc Warren (2006), Scott Drummond (2004), Scott Henderson (1997), Gary Orr (1993), Colin Montgomerie (1988), Gordon Brand Jnr (1982) Mike Miller (1979), Sandy Lyle (1978), Sam Torrance (1972), Bernard Gallacher (1968) and Robin Liddle (1966).
