Typically, Robert MacIntyre would have been among the first golfers to cross Scotland to begin his preparations for the final major tournament of the season, the British Open.
If he wanted to stick to his routine, then he should have cut the festivities a little short.
But these were very important.
MacIntyre achieved one of his biggest goals by winning the Scottish Open at Renaissance Golf Club. He didn’t shy away from the question of how much he wanted to win. Then he put together a miraculous finish Sunday, when he combined eagle-par-birdie to win by one shot.
Then it was time to celebrate.
“Look, I’m not a big drinker, but when you’re living a moment like that, a childhood dream and a career goal, and you have your family and all those people who supported you growing up, then I think it was necessary that we lose it,” he said.
He smiled, before adding, “I think that’s what we did.”
MacIntyre was scheduled to have a news conference Monday afternoon. He immediately postponed it until Wednesday, wondering what condition he would be in. So he showed up at the British Open Monday night, played nine holes Tuesday and planned to play nine more holes Wednesday afternoon.
The Scot doesn’t seem too serious about winning the most important major tournament in his eyes. However, it seems that this is the secret behind his remarkable season so far.
It all depends on the level of effort, regardless of expectations.
“I’m not going to go into the tournament thinking I have to win,” he said. “I’m just going to try to play the best I can and put my score down at the end. Whether it’s good or bad, it’s not going to affect what I do. That’s kind of my philosophy; focus on your next shot, accept the result and think about the next one.”
MacIntyre won his first PGA Tour title at the RBC Canadian Open — his father was his caddie at the time — then battled relentlessly on the back nine at the Scottish Open until he holed his birdie putt to win.
His two victories this season have lifted him to 16th in the world rankings, and many now expect a Scot to win the British Open in Scotland — a feat that has only been accomplished twice in the 100 years of the oldest major tournament.
The last person to achieve this feat was Paul Lawrie at Carnoustie in 1999. Most golf fans, however, remember the tournament for the defeat of Jean Van de Velde, who blew a three-shot lead on the final hole after making a triple bogey, before losing in a playoff.
The other golfer is Tommy Armour, who had triumphed at Carnoustie in 1931.
Could he be next?
“It’s possible,” MacIntyre said. “Tomorrow I’ll start at par. I’ll have the same chance as the rest of the field. You just have to put yourself in a good position going into the final round and hope the stars align. That’s what happened for me last week. My job is to get out there, fight hard, do the best job I can, and put myself in the best position to give myself a chance (to win).”
MacIntyre is now ready to turn the page and go for a rare double – the last golfer to win the Scottish Open and the British Open in Scotland in the same season was Phil Mickelson, in 2013.