Breakfast Ball #22: Oban's Finest is the Toast of Canada

It is time the PGA Tour realized that events like the Canadian Open are the future. An incredible atmosphere, a golf course that produced drama with interesting and challenging shots, and a worthy winner with a great storyline.

In This Week’s Newsletter:

Robert MacIntyre WINS the Canadian Open for his first PGA Tour Victory

It was a tough start to the year for Bob MacIntyre. After getting a PGA Tour card through the DP World Tour in 2023, the Scotsman made the full time move to Orlando. However, it wasn’t plain sailing for him. “When I’m in America, it’s just me, my girlfriend, and we’re trying to live as good a life as we can,” MacIntyre said. “But it’s difficult when we’re both so close to family and friends.” In his first nine PGA Tour events, MacIntyre missed the cut 5 times and only had one top 25 finish at the Mexico Open.

In an attempt to solve his homesickness and find some inspiration he took a trip home to Oban, where his father is the greenskeeper at Glencruitten Golf Club. Oban is a small port town of 8,500 people on the west coast of Scotland where shinty is the most popular sport locally. MacIntyre’s visit was worthwhile. Before this weekend, he had three top 20 finishes in his last five events since the trip, including a T8 finish at the PGA Championship.

This week, MacIntyre parted ways with his caddie after missing the cut at the Charles Schwab Championship. Who was the first person he called? The man who taught him the game of golf, his father, Dougie MacIntyre. Bob: “Yeah, it was an emergency phone call on Saturday, and he stepped up to the plate.”

After rounds of 64, 66, and 66, MacIntyre carried a four stroke lead into the final round of the Canadian Open. Within four holes, that lead had evaporated as a number of challengers made moves for the lead. However, MacIntyre remained calm and birdied three holes on the front nine to take a three shot lead into the final stretch. Two bogeys cut the lead to one, but once again MacIntyre responded with a birdie. Ben Griffin made a late charge with three straight birdies to bring the tournament to the final hole, but when MacIntyre hit a beautiful approach to 11 feet under intense pressure, it was all but over.

Bob and Dougie MacIntyre were both visibly emotional on the 18th green as they tried wrap their heads around this victory. Bob: “I’m speechless. It’s just everything for me and my family. I can’t believe I have done it with him on the bag.” He came from a small town in the Highlands of Scotland, went unbeaten at the Ryder Cup last September, and has now won a PGA Tour event with his dad as his caddie. What a year for Bob MacIntyre.

There won’t be a cow milked in Oban for a week.

Quick Hits from the World of Golf:

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Laurie Canter won the European Open, two strokes ahead of Thriston Lawrence and Bernd Wiesberger

  • Canter was a LIV player in 2023 but moved back to the DP World Tour this year

  • This was the 34-year-old’s first professional victory

• 🇫🇷 Victor Perez had his best finish of the year so far at the Canadian Open in 3rd place

  • This catapulted him into the Aon Swing 5, giving him a spot in the Memorial Tournament next week

  • ☘️ Rory McIlroy (T4) and Aaron Rai (T14) also had top 15 finishes

• Today is known as the “golf’s longest day” as the final qualifiers for the US Open take place across the US and Canada

  • Players play 36 holes in one day

  • European players such as Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, Matt Wallace, and David Puig will be fighting for spots

Coming up this week on Tour

• The Memorial Tournament is the start of a busy three weeks on the PGA Tour

• The Scandinavian Mixed is a joint tournament between the DP World Tour and the Ladies European tour where men and women compete alongside each other

• LIV Golf returns with their next event in Houston

If you have any feedback for the newsletter or would like to get in touch, I would love to hear from you! Email [email protected] or message us on Twitter/X at @BlueHorizonGolf. Thank you for reading!