Smylie Kaufman has urged Robert MacIntyre to improve how he acts on the golf course, insisting that the Scot has one of the worst attitudes on the PGA Tour when it comes to controlling his temper while playing.
MacIntyre largely had a major championship season to forget. The 29-year-old missed the cut at both The Masters and the PGA Championship.
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It is the first time that he has missed two major cuts in the same season.
Meanwhile, he finished outside the top 30 at both the US Open and The Open Championship. And MacIntyre came in for criticism after receiving a code of conduct warning on Sunday at Royal Birkdale as he was seen smashing his club into the ground.
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MacIntyre was also reprimanded after showing his frustration on the 15th hole at The Masters earlier this year.
Showing emotion on the golf course is not something players should fear criticism over. However, there is clearly a line, and MacIntyre has crossed it on a couple of occasions this year.
Speaking on The Smylie Show, Smylie Kaufman suggested that MacIntyre needs to make some changes after letting himself down with his behaviour at the final major of the year.
“Speaking of penalties, Bobby Mac was out there, and he was playing with Cam Young. Oh buddy, you want to talk about chucking some clubs out there. I watched the rules official come up to him and put his arm around his back and be like, ‘dude, don’t make me give you a two-stroke penalty. We’re on the 70th hole of the golf tournament’. I don’t even know what he said, but I just know this is what is being said to Bobby. ‘Dude, you’re acting like a buffoon out here’. And this isn’t the first time with Bob,” he said.
“He’s got one of the worst attitudes out there when it comes to throwing clubs and not being respectful to his playing partners in the game. I like Bob, but at some point, you’ve got to act better. These guys are chucking clubs left and right.”
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MacIntyre was asked about his conduct after his final round at Royal Birkdale on Sunday. It probably did not help his cause that he was playing alongside Cameron Young, who made an incredible charge up the leaderboard.
Unfortunately, MacIntyre suggested that he has no plans to change his ways.
Some players clearly benefit from being incredibly harsh on themselves. MacIntyre’s Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton can be particularly brutal on himself, but he is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world.
Similarly, Jon Rahm was warned by officials after throwing his club during The Open.
Players need to be able to show their personality on the course. The game absolutely needs the fiery characters.
But MacIntyre may not be helping himself when it comes to winning over those outside the ropes. MacIntyre has said he would love to play the DP World Tour full-time, while he is always likely to be a target for American crowds when he is in contention because of his two Ryder Cup appearances.
He is arguably sending out a message to those crowds that it is very easy to get under his skin.
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