There’s a queer old difference between Oban and Orlando but Robert MacIntyre seems to be settling into life on the other side of the pond.
His new Florida HQ, where the Scot will live during his maiden season on the PGA Tour, includes a practice base at luxurious Isleworth, a local status symbol of wealth and grandeur. Just like Glencruitten then?
This week, MacIntyre has made the trek to Hawaii for the Sony Open as the 27-year-old begins a new chapter in his young career.
Earning one of 10 PGA Tour cards through last season’s DP World Tour rankings has opened up a whole host of lucrative opportunities.
The next few weeks and months will be an eye-opener, both on and off the course. Will MacIntyre revel in the pursuit of the American dream? Or will too much time away from the contentment of life in his beloved Oban plunge a star-spangled spanner into his works? Time will tell.
“This year, the living side of it is almost like a trial run,” he said. “I’ll be trying to work out if America is the right place for me to live.
“When I was making the move out here, I had to choose where the best place was to go.
“I’m not just moving here and saying ‘see you (back home) later on’. I needed an airport nearby as I want my family to come out. I want things for them to do when they come out. When I am out practising, they need something to do, not just sit at the house. There were lots of things to consider.
“America is America. It’s completely different from where I’m from. It’s going to really take a bit of time to get used to. Some things are really going to annoy me, some things I am going to love.
“But I am doing it for one thing. Not for a lifestyle change, it’s all for my golf game.”
Golfing in Scotland at this time of the year, of course, can often turn into the kind of sodden slog that’s about as enjoyable as digging a trench.
Staying in Oban certainly didn’t hinder MacIntyre. He became a double tour champion and a Ryder Cup player from there, after all. Orlando, though, can help to raise the bar.
“Oban has got me so far and I could still get better from there,” he said. “But I have dreams I want to achieve and I have more chance of achieving them by making this move. I’m amazed at the work I can get done out here.
“Last Friday, I left the golf course at dark and was still in a t-shirt. I was at home for four weeks over Christmas and touched the clubs twice The worst thing about home is the weather. And that’s not going to change much.”
The Ryder Cup is still relatively fresh in the memory and the spirit and comradeship of Team Europe is something that MacIntyre still cherishes and will continue to benefit from as he looks to make his mark on the toughest tour in the world.
“When I first met Rory (McIlroy) a couple of years ago, it was like, ‘oh, it’s Rory, he’s up there and I’m down here’,” said MacIntyre. “But at the Ryder Cup, everyone opened up. You get to know them on a different level.
"I can now go into a locker room and if Rory is there, I can have a personal chat. I think being part of that team has opened up doors for me to get help from one of the best players ever to play the game.”
As for adapting to the American way of life? Well, MacIntyre may just have to grin and bear the relentless exuberance. Amazing, awesome, you’re the man?
“I went for a coffee and the enthusiasm over making a coffee was just off the charts,” chuckled MacIntyre of this glass half-full approach of gleaming, beaming tooth enamel.
“I’ve been on Oban high street and it’s nice and chilled. Whereas over here, I feel like you go places and it’s an overkill of buzz. I’m that chilled guy, so the house might be one of the best places for me over here other than the golf course.”
We will see if the good ol’ US of A becomes a golfing home from home for MacIntyre.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel