Home favorite Robert McIntyre made the most of his luck to win the Scottish Open with a dramatic late birdie putt.
McIntyre was stripped of the title 12 months ago following a stunning performance by Rory McIlroy, but he created a title of his own at the Renaissance Club. He rallied to win after trailing Adam Scott by two shots through three holes in the final round.
The left-hander made an eagle on the par-5 16th hole after a brilliant approach shot, albeit after a sprinkler head was found near his ball and a long, knee-high Free falling on the grass. McIntyre, who joined Scott at 17 under, to the delight of a raucous home crowd, sealed a remarkable victory with a birdie from 20 feet on the 18th hole.
McIntyre started the day two strokes behind Ryder Cup teammate Ludwig Oberg, but his challenge looked to have failed as he finished the first 13 holes at 1 over. Contest. McIntyre made a long birdie putt on the 14th green to close the gap on Scott to one shot, and then the Australian birdied the 16th hole to extend his lead by one. times.
Former world No. 1 Scott looked a sure winner at this point, especially after McIntyre drove into the heavy rough on the par-5 16th. However, after taking a practice swing, McIntyre spotted a sprinkler near his ball.
The Ryder Cup star was given a free drop and made the most of it, sinking a stunning putt from 247 yards to 6 feet and calmly sinking the eagle putt before sealing it in with a final birdie Victory. He became the first Scot to win the home title at Loch Lomond since Colin Montgomerie in 1999.
McIntyre let out a roar of joy after his birdie, telling Sky Sports: “I think I lost my voice after the scream on that hole. I thought I was short. I worked so hard for it. I’ve made a lot of changes in the team and I’ve been working hard.
“I want the Scottish Open,” added the 27-year-old, who grew up in Auburn. “I got lucky on the 16th, and you need to win a golf tournament. When I heard the water spraying under my feet, I couldn’t believe it. It was covered, and I thought: I’m lucky, this is meant to be.
McIntyre will now head to Royal Troon for the Open, but made his focus clear in the coming days. “Next week is a new week, but let me tell you, I’m going to celebrate it with my family, my friends and everybody here. I’m going to celebrate it. When we play the Open, we play the Open race.
The 43-year-old Scott set the target with a closing score of 67, seven birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. Before McIntyre’s dramatic late surge, Scott looked set to win his first title since the Genesis Invitational in February 2020.
“There’s a lot of good stuff for me this week,” Scott said. “It’s hard to complain about anything. This is my first tournament this year. I like the way it’s going to go next week. Feel like I’m playing at a high level.[I’m]happy for Bob,” the Australian added. “It’s a huge win. I played with him yesterday and you could hear them singing over there. I think it’s great for him and hopefully I can keep up my good form next week.[I’mpleasedforBob”theAustralianadded”ThisisabigwinIplayedwithhimyesterdayandyoucanhearthemsingingoverthereIthinkthat’sawesomeforhimandhopefullyIcantakesomegoodformintonextweek”[我為鮑勃感到高興，」這位澳洲人補充道。「這是一場巨大的勝利。我昨天和他一起玩，你可以聽到他們在那邊唱歌。我認為這對他來說太棒了，希望我能在下週保持良好的狀態。[I’mpleasedforBob”theAustralianadded“ThisisabigwinIplayedwithhimyesterdayandyoucanhearthemsingingoverthereIthinkthat’sawesomeforhimandhopefullyIcantakesomegoodformintonextweek”
Defending champion McIlroy shot a final 68, 14 under par, and was tied for fourth among six players, while Aberg also achieved the same result after a disappointing 73. Langasque finished third, two strokes behind and one stroke ahead of Scott.
England’s Aaron Rye (14-under) and Sweden’s Alex Noren (13-under) qualified for next week’s Open, while Richard Mansell He tied the course record with a score of 61, made 10 birdies, and secured the final qualifying spot.
