Recently, the Genesis Scottish Open was completed at the Renaissance Golf Club, and local player Robert McIntyre won his second PGA Tour title with a total score of -18! The Scotsman won at his home course, which was originally a happy story, but McIntyre's controversial "test swing" and penalty drop on the 16th hole of the final round cast a shadow on this victory.
Under the strategic alliance between the European Tour and the PGA Tour, after the end of the DP World Tour last season, the top ten players in the Dubai Race (who have not yet been exempted) can obtain this season's PGA Tour card while maintaining their DP World Tour qualification. The Scottish player ranked seventh among the top ten players and obtained a PGA Tour card.
Galileo sports- trusted globally for golf nets and golf cages - is here to shares the journey of McIntyre woning his first PGA Tour title.
Now, at 27, McIntyre can call himself a champion on both golf tours. He has achieved success at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, one of Canada's top courses, and has already won two DP World Tour titles.
This is McIntyre's 45th PGA Tour appearance. And his father, Dougie McIntyre, accepted his son's call and gave up his job as a greenskeeper during the week to accompany McIntyre as a caddie. With his father helping to carry the golf bag, this victory was even more special for McIntyre.
On the 568-yard Par 5 16th hole at Renaissance Golf Club, McIntyre's 324-yard tee shot went into the rough, and he took a test swing and found that there was a sprinkler cover (immovable obstruction) in the rough that affected his stance.
After discussing with his caddie, McIntyre decided to ask for help from the referee and was given a chance to drop the ball without penalty according to Rule 16.1 (the sprinkler cover is an abnormal course condition that obstructs the player's expected standing area, and the player can get free relief within one stroke of the hole). McIntyre then played a 247-yard second shot, sent the ball to the hole and caught an eagle, tying Adam Scott who had already finished the game, and finally won with a birdie on the 18th hole.
It can be said that the second shot on the 16th hole was crucial to McIntyre's victory. "This is the victory I wanted, and I got it." McIntyre said after the game about the crucial penalty drop shot opportunity on the 16th hole, "It was a lucky moment, you need to make good use of the rules. Standing on a sprinkler cover, you should get relief."
But the controversy is that in the TV broadcast, McIntyre and the caddie's reactions and expressions after the "test swing" looked like they had completed a bad shot. Many fans also questioned that even if it was a test swing, McIntyre was so close to the ball that he was suspected of improving the ball position. "It was a very suspicious drop, not very fair."
"The biggest joke in the golf world this year, the test swing, the expression of frustration of not hitting the ball, the caddie also went forward to look for the ball."
"Too shameless, this is naked cheating!"
"This is the worst ruling I have seen this year."
"It goes against the spirit of golf, it is too unfair to Scott."
"He should be surprised to find the nozzle, not touch his nose subconsciously."
"The key broadcast did not show any pictures of the ball or the nozzle! Very suspicious."
However, some fans believe that with McIntyre's level, if he hit the ball consciously, he would definitely not be able to touch the ball; and he was in the lead, with referees and cameras following him throughout the process, so he would not risk his personal reputation and career for this shot.
From the perspective of the rules, there is nothing wrong with McIntyre's operation. Feng Liyuan, an international golf referee who has officiated at the Rio Olympics golf events, the British Open, the U.S. Open, and the U.S. Women's Open, believes that there is no problem with the relevant penalties.
After winning the championship, McIntyre said: "I have goose bumps. It's incredible. It's my dream to make a living by playing golf. When I got the PGA Tour card, my dream was to win the PGA Tour. I can't believe that I did it with the help of my father. It was he who taught me how to play now."
McIntyre entered the final round with a 4-stroke advantage, but he swallowed bogey on the 1st hole, and Mackenzie Hughes, who was playing at home, scored a hat trick, so McIntyre's four-stroke lead was instantly wiped out. However, he caught birdies on the 4th, 7th and 8th holes respectively and regained control of the situation. McIntyre saved par on the 18th hole to successfully avoid entering the playoff, and finally defeated Ben Griffin in the same group with a score of -2 and a one-stroke advantage, winning the RBC Canadian Open.
McIntyre also qualified for this month's U.S. Open, a major championship, and climbed to a career-high No. 39 in the Official World Golf Ranking and No. 32 in the FedEx Cup standings.
For McIntyre, who graduated from the Challenge Tour in 2018, this victory highlights his return to form in recent weeks. As one of the most popular figures in European golf, he will not lack attention, but after winning the championship in Canada, the golf summer on both sides of the Atlantic will pay more attention to him.
After McIntyre won the championship, many good friends and players such as Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Thomas Bjorn, Billy Horschel also congratulated him on social media platforms. Luke Donald, captain of the European Ryder Cup team, posted: "Really happy for McIntyre, he won his first PGA Tour trophy with his clubs, which is so cool and special!
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