The Sunday Pin Golf

Bob MacIntyre, a man who seems to have created a bull market out of his own golf game, has changed the audience’s perspective on his game in the past few months. He once felt like a simple foot solider to the Colosseum’s crowd, but now, now he feels like he is almost a gladiator, making a charge for contention nearly every competition he plays in.

Starting off on the feeder MENA Golf Tour he has risen through the ranks in quite a unique fashion. Going from MENA to the Challenge Tour, and from the Challenge Tour to the European Tour and from there to the PGA, all within a space of six years or so.

Bob is what most would consider a true journeyman. Fighting for tour security in a plethora of tours and constantly succeeding breeds a skill that not many golfers have in this day and age. Gladiatorial Grit.

Bob earned a spot on Ryder Cup Team Europe before he even committed to the PGA Tour. He was one of the many rookies Luke Donald brought in to breathe new life into the lungs of a dying team. MacIntyre performed exactly how you’d expect a rookie to perform, shaky.

But once again, this isn’t some normal golfer we are talking about, this is a man who has battle scars from his years grinding for his own survival. Bob started his Ryder Cup debut poorly but showed an ability to perform although he did not look comfortable to secure a half point before winning out the rest of the weekend. Bob managed to scored 2.5 points out of a possible 3. Not bad for a man who had never properly played against many of the PGA Tour players. Are you not entertained?

After the Ryder Cup, the consensus in the golfing world seemed to be that Bob had the potential to be something great. He categorically did not play stellar golf in Rome yet still brought home the points. What could he do if he really dialled in?

We would find out the following season when he finally defected to the PGA Tour for the 2024 season. Bob carded 9 top 10s that season with a win in the RBC Canadian Open and his home tournament, The Scottish Open. The latter of which he won in dramatic fashion with a birdie on the last hole with the will of a whole country behind him.

There was no doubt that the 2023 Ryder Cup had done wonders for Bob and his confidence, giving him a good boost into the 2024 season. 2025 would also prove a step up for MacIntyre but in a completely different manor.

Before 2025, the highest finish MacIntyre had in a Major was T8 in the 2024 PGA Championship. Always lurking but never quite making any sort of noise, certainly not enough noise for the leaders to hear his drum.

In this years 2025 US Open, he broke that barrier. Showcasing something other than a determination to keep competing. No, this was different. This time he believed he could win, a look of deep competitive bloodlust set into his face. MacIntyre would post the second lowest round of the final round (68) and would force the inevitable winner JJ Spaun to perform a miracle.

Unfortunately, JJ did just that. Bob finished a solo second. An initial feeling of disappointment seeping into fans of Bob and fans of golf. However, it cannot go unnoticed that at Oakmont CC, the world saw a different version of Bob, a sharper version of the sword.

A feeling that has excited every European fan since. Team Europe historically being famous for its passion and grit. Seve esc.

Yesterday Bob carried a 4-shot lead into the final round of the BMW Championship, the second round of the PGA Tour playoffs. He would eventually not have his stuff in the round and would lose to Scottie Scheffler.

However, once again he showed fight as it almost felt like he kept Scottie sweating all the way up until the final holes. His game just wasn’t there unfortunately. Nonetheless, what seems to be reoccurring ritual of Bob MacIntyre performing in big tournaments is a welcome sight.

A man who is revelling in the entertaining of his Colosseum.

I would like to formally submit my prediction that Bob MacIntyre, presuming he stays healthy, will win a major next year. He has got what it takes, he just needs to put it together, and let’s face it, a little bit of luck.

Written by

E.J Ganaza

18/8/25

The Sunday Pin