MacIntyre tees off on the first hole during a practice round at Royal Portrush
Bob MacIntyre, who finished as runner-up at the US Open while battling nerves, says the experience has instilled in him the belief that he can win a major championship.
“I now know that I can win one of these,” the 28-year-old Scot told BBC Sport ahead of this week’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
“Before, I thought I could, but I’d never shown anything that had shown that I can. Yes, I’ve had a few top 10s in majors, but I was never there over the final few holes.”
“Oakmont was the first time I’d had that feeling. On the 16th, I was thinking ‘I can do this, it’s here for the taking’.”
MacIntyre began his final round in Pennsylvania tied for ninth but surged into contention, sharing the lead after 14 holes, before JJ Spaun’s impressive finish secured victory by two strokes.
“I thought I played beautifully and it’s just knowing that it’s there,” MacIntyre explained. “Okay, it didn’t happen, but it’s knowing we’ve got that in the locker when I need it.
“Things were happening that were completely new to me. It was different, but I was expecting it. Yes, there were nerves, but it was exciting. You’re shaking, feeling sick. I played the last three holes in one under par feeling like that.
“If the cards had fallen my way, I’d have won the US Open, but JJ was better than me over 72 holes.
“It was close and we pitch up here with the same thought of trying to win The Open. It makes me really think I can win a major. It’s a reality, not just a dream.”
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The Oban native, a left-hander, already boasts two top-10 Open finishes, including a joint-sixth place on his debut when the tournament was last held at Portrush in 2019.
Last year’s Scottish Open victory demonstrated his ability to win on a links course against top-tier competition.
Despite a disappointing defense of his Scottish Open title over the weekend, MacIntyre appears reinvigorated by the “old school feel” of Portrush.
“Yes, it’s been lengthened in time, but it’s just the dunes enclosing the holes,” he explained. “You’ve got the visuals off the tees and then you’ve got the weather. That can be absolutely brutal, as we saw in 2019. As a championship golf course, I think it’s spectacular.”
MacIntyre, paired with Justin Rose and Bryson DeChambeau for the first two rounds, is one of four Scots in the field, alongside Daniel Young and amateurs Cameron Adam and Connor Graham, all of whom are making their Open debuts.
“I’m sure they’ll pick my brains out there and, if they want to ask me questions, not a problem, I’m there for them,” he said of his compatriots.
“They’ve all got my number, but if they don’t want to ask me questions, I’m not going to force things down them, try and make them change.”