You are what you eat apparently. “I do enjoy myself, maybe a little bit too much on the food side of things,” chuckled Robert MacIntyre of his occasional indulgences. 

The Oban left-hander’s penchant for those edible guilty pleasures may have those pious, hand-wringing, healthy-eating gurus choking on their purified twigs and soil but, whatever MacIntyre is devouring, it’s certainly not doing the young Scot any harm.

Now that he is at the top table and can dine from the cash-sodden menu on offer to the world’s top-50, the 24-year-old travelled out to the USA yesterday for, potentially, a seven-week golfing feast that is so rich, the thought of it just about brings on heartburn.

MacIntyre, the world No 43, will contest this coming week’s WGC Workday Championship in Florida and is also poised to play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, the Players’ Championship, the WGC Dell Technologies Matchplay and, if he is still in the top 50 by the end of March, a debut at The Masters.

In his rapid rise up the golfing order, MacIntyre has already played in two US majors and a WGC but this run of events is a real opportunity to advance his career and make his mark on American soil.

MacIntyre’s life has changed spectacularly in the last couple of years. One thing that hasn’t changed, of course, is the man himself. He may have earned over £2.5 million on the European Tour with a win and a raft of other high finishes in that time but this very special talent remains as down to earth as one of the muddied shinty sticks that will be kicking about his lobby.

‘I don’t have a 9-to-5 job in Oban, I travel the world for a living but, other than that, I’m just a normal 24-year-old guy who has the same pals I had as a boy,” said MacIntyre, who has never made a secret of how important an influence his family, and the foster children who are part of that tight knit unit, have been on his career. 

“You’re not seeing any different side of me whether I’m on the golf course or whether I’m at home. The only different side you might see is when I’m on a shinty pitch. That’s when the adrenalin is really running high.

“One of the reasons I play golf to the level that I do and don’t get worked up about it is because I see the foster kids and I know what they have been through. Golf is not the be all and end all. Life is more important than a game of golf.”

Life is pretty good for MacIntyre but, even in his tranquil existence away from his golfing globetrotting, he is not blinkered to the impacts of fame and fortune.

“I suppose I can’t be me of two years ago,” he conceded. “That’s life. It’s the route I’ve picked and, thankfully, I’m good enough to play in these big events. But I’ve got to be more aware of my surroundings because there are people out there trying to catch you out. I’ve got the right people around me who will keep me on the straight and narrow.”

MacIntyre’s canny, carefree demeanour masks a tremendous drive and a fierce competitive instinct. “You can’t be Mr Nice Guy all the time,” he said. “I’m trying to win golf tournaments so you’ve got to be ruthless.”

In the cut-throat world of professional golf, with its fine margins, fickle fortunes and complex demands, MacIntyre’s faith in his own particular approach continues to reap considerable rewards. “I’m ahead of where I thought I would be at this point, but not ahead of where I want to be,” said MacIntyre, who turned pro in late 2017 and has the made the kind of giant leaps that could have been accompanied by a crackling commentary by Neil Armstrong.

“I personally thought I’d be on the Challenge Tour for two years. Then, in the second or maybe third year, I’d be pushing for my European Tour card. But everything just happened so quickly. I’ve loved being thrown in at the deep end. It makes you realise you can compete with the best players in the world.

“Some guys try to copy other players in the way they do certain things. But, in golf, there are many ways to skin a cat. You have to find the right fit for you. When I’m at home, I don’t know how many hours I waste, sitting about, playing the PlayStation and watching TV. But that’s just me.”

MacIntyre continues to do it his way. A golden opportunity to chase the American dream is further proof that his approach is working.