Robert MacIntyre has no love for St. Andrews’ most well-known gap.
Ross Parker/SNS Group by way of Getty Photographs
Robert MacIntyre could maintain the dignity of Scotland’s favourite {golfing} son proper now, however that standing could have taken a success this week.
The 28-year-old from Oban had a breakout rookie season on the PGA Tour, profitable the RBC Canadian Open and later changing into the primary Scot to win his nationwide open since 1999.
MacIntyre was again in his homeland this week for the Alfred Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship on the DP World Tour, performed at Scotland’s most well-known course, the Previous Course at St. Andrews.
However, after his final-round 70 Sunday, MacIntyre had had sufficient of the Previous Course’s most well-known gap.
“Blow it up,” MacIntyre informed The Scotsman of St. Andrews’ well-known “Highway Gap” par-4 seventeenth. “I don’t assume there are lots of worse holes in world golf.
“I believe it’s a horrible gap off the again tee. It doesn’t must be modernized, to carry pleasure it must be a gap you’ll be able to hit a golf shot into and never one the place you simply hit it onto the inexperienced and attempt to rise up and down.”
The “Highway Gap,” which was lengthened to 495 yards earlier than the 2010 Open Championship and requires a blind tee shot over elements of the Previous Course resort, performed because the hardest gap by far this week on the Dunhill. Throughout all 4 rounds (which noticed your entire area play it no less than as soon as), it averaged 4.57 strokes and gave up simply seven birdies, none of which got here within the last spherical.
Against this, he subsequent hardest gap this week, the 18th gap at early-round co-host Carnoustie, performed practically three-tenths of a shot simpler at 4.31.
The electrifying moments after Robert MacIntyre’s career-defining putt
MacIntyre, who missed the inexperienced left each instances he performed the opening this week, made double Saturday after taking part in his third shot into the highway gap bunker. He made bogey Sunday after hitting his second practically on the 18th tee and lacking a 15-footer.
“It virtually performs like a par 5,” MacIntyre continued to The Scotsman. “They attempt to do issues to this golf course that don’t must be finished. Immediately I rifled a drive off the tee after which a 4-iron and I used to be the furthest up the opening.”
His 70 in Spherical 4 bought him to 14 beneath for the week which was good for a tie for twenty fifth. Tyrrell Hatton received the occasion for the third time in his profession after a course-record-tying 61 on Saturday. It was Hatton’s first DP World Tour win since he signed with LIV Golf earlier this season.
