Robert MacIntyre’s passion is well known on tour, and it showed again during the third round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, where frustration got the better of him.
He hasn’t found his stride through the early rounds this week, but he kept fighting on Saturday in Surrey, trying to piece together something positive.
With the Ryder Cup fast approaching, MacIntyre will be eager to hit top form before heading into what promises to be a tense showdown with the US at Bethpage Black.
READ MORE: Europe’s edge at Ryder Cup highlighted by Billy Horschel after chat with Shane Lowry
The Scot has become an important part of Europe’s setup. His rise over the past few years has been rapid, and there’s a lot of belief in what he brings to the team room as well as on the course.
But right now, all that matters is finding something in his game this weekend at Wentworth. There’s still time for him to put together a strong finish and take some momentum forward.
While there’s plenty of money up for grabs this week – $1.53 million going to the winner – that won’t be driving MacIntyre right now. He’ll be far more focused on building some belief in his game ahead of such a huge occasion at Bethpage Black.
That’s why every missed shot has felt even more frustrating than usual during these opening rounds. It isn’t just about one tournament – it’s about trying to build towards something bigger coming down the track.
Robert MacIntyre called out for ‘silly’ moment during BMW PGA Championship
It’s nothing new for athletes at the top level to sometimes cross a line when it comes to how they carry themselves. And that’s what happened with MacIntyre on Saturday at Wentworth.
He hooked his tee shot left on the sixth hole during the third round, leading to a reaction that didn’t go unnoticed by those watching.
“I think he’ll look back on that and say, ‘what was I doing?’ It can take you out of your game a little bit. He hit a poor drive up the last and reacted like that, it doesn’t do you any favours.”
Torrance gave his view during coverage of the event, saying: “He got away with one there. He made a bit of a mess on the tee. You almost have to see yourself on television doing something like that to see how silly it looks.”
“Oh well, each to their own. He’s very fiery, a great competitor.” MacIntyre responded by making birdie at the sixth hole and kept things in perspective as he tried to push forward into contention for one of golf’s biggest prizes outside of the four majors.
The incident itself wasn’t particularly severe compared to some of what we’ve seen in other major tournaments this year.
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Robert MacIntyre’s behaviour another example of a big problem which needs addressing
There have been plenty of examples this season of players losing their temper on the course. Justin Rose, for instance, reacted poorly at the Scottish Open in July when he smashed his club into his bag, nearly catching his caddie in the process.
Shane Lowry also had a moment at the US Open back in June. Cameron Young has also had several instances where his behaviour didn’t meet expectations, most recently at the Travelers Championship in June.
This isn’t just an issue for the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. LIV Golf is dealing with it as well. Brooks Koepka was heavily criticised for his actions during LIV Dallas earlier this year.
The list doesn’t stop there—there have been several other incidents throughout the season that raised eyebrows. It’s becoming harder to ignore how common these moments are becoming across all tours. It raises a larger question about whether enough is being done to address player conduct across professional golf. Without some sort of intervention from tournament organisers or governing bodies, these moments could become so routine that they no longer draw any real criticism or surprise from fans and analysts alike.
MacIntyre’s outburst wasn’t anywhere near as severe as some of what we’ve seen recently, but it still falls into a pattern that’s growing more noticeable every year. Even if he didn’t mean anything by it, he’ll likely look back and know he could have handled it better—as Sam Torrance pointed out during commentary.
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