NEW Fairstone Scottish Amateur champion Robert MacIntyre believes competing against the world’s top-ranked amateur in America helped him secure the nation’s flagship event.
The teenager secured a two-hole victory over Daniel Young from Craigie Hill in Saturday’s 36-hole showdown, winning a cracking contest on the eve of his 19th birthday today.
On the same green where Phil Mickelson lifted his first Claret Jug at Muirfield two years ago, it was another ‘leftie’ who savoured success at the Open Championship venue.
MacIntyre, attached to the James Braid-designed Glencruitten club in Oban, became the first left-hander in living memory to secure the title.
After being four holes down at lunch, the former Scottish Youths and Scottish Boys Open Stroke Play champion produced a brilliant comeback to triumph over the seventh seed and reigning South African Amateur champion.
MacIntyre, who reached the last 16 of The Amateur Championship at Carnoustie in June, showed further match-play qualities to seal his biggest success in the game, and perhaps gave GB&I Walker Cup captain Nigel Edwards some food for thought ahead of next month’s match against the US at Royal Lytham.
MacIntyre, who will rise from his 154th position on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, believes his first year of college golf in the US at McNeese State University in Louisiana has helped him develop in the last 12 months.
“America has helped me immensely,” he admitted. “Not just the golf, but the belief. I was as calm as ever coming up the last at Muirfield, I just felt in control. Over my putt on the final green, I was just thinking ‘get this done’.
“The golf has been great in the US, playing competitions every week. I’ve been playing against the likes of Jon Rahm, the world No.1, and played against a lot of top-50 guys. I’ve been getting that competitive edge every week.”
He added: “I went home from Muirfield on Saturday night to celebrate and went to see some family and friends. Then it’s off to Slovakia for this week’s European Amateur Championship.”
Young could still draw the positives in defeat. “It is disappointing just now, but I suppose it’s a good week in the end and it’s still been a good year for me,” the 23-year-old Perthshire player said.
“I felt I didn’t play as well as I did in the afternoon compared to the morning and gifted him a few holes, especially on the front nine. But don’t get me wrong, Bob played awesome in the afternoon and never gave me anything. He holed out brilliantly from six feet and in.”
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