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Stephen Gallacher: Robert MacIntyre shouldn’t be too hard on himself after revealing negative thoughts ahead of ending trophy drought

Robert MacIntyre
The hard work has paid off for Bob MacIntyre

Robert MacIntyre is being a touch hard on himself by saying he felt he was down and out a few months ago.

Glencruitten’s finest produced his best performance of the season on Sunday to beat Matt Fitzpatrick in a play-off to win the Italian Open.

Following his excellent win, Bob talked about changing coach to Simon Shanks and I know he has also tweaked his clubs, too – but he was being harsh on himself if he thinks he had lost his way.

The simple fact is Bob has made such a stunning impact since bursting onto the scene, maintaining his excellent form was always going to be a challenge.

In this game, we all face bumps in the road from time to time and Bob hit his first one a few months ago.

But, rather than dwelling on it, he has taken a step back, made some adjustments and now reaped the rewards when it matters most – at the venue which will host next year’s Ryder Cup match.

When you feel you need to make some tweaks here and there whether it is a coach, psychologist or your equipment, they are decisions which are not taken lightly.

Return to form perfectly timed

In Bob’s case, the changes he felt he needed to address have clearly worked.

If you want to time a return to the position of tournament winner, he could not have done much better out with winning one of the majors.

You can be sure Europe captain Luke Donald has taken notice – not just of how well Bob played to win the tournament, but the resilience he showed in holding off a stellar chasing pack led by Matt and Rory McIlroy.

Trust me, that’s no mean feat.

We got a wee taster of what matchplay golf will be like as Bob and Matt went head-to-head down the 18th again and it has certainly whetted my appetite for next year’s match against the United States.

Luke Donald.

It has turned out to be a pretty good year for the Scottish guys on the DP World Tour, with Bob, Ewen Ferguson and Richie Ramsay all winning tournaments.

We’ve still got a few weeks of tournament golf ahead of us, so here’s hoping there are more Scottish success stories to talk about before the season wraps up.

Drama and disbelief at Danny Willett’s three-putt in California

The dust had barely settled on Bob MacIntyre’s excellent win in Rome when I found myself staring in disbelief at the dramatic conclusion of the Fortinet Championship on the PGA Tour.

I could not believe what I witnessed as Max Homa chipped in at the last before Danny Willett three-putted to hand victory to Homa in the most incredible of finishes.

Danny must have been thinking it was in the bag even after Homa chipped in, and I daresay even Homa himself thought his fabulous shot at the last would ultimately be in vain.

Maybe the chip from Homa flustered Danny, maybe he did not go through his normal putting routine or maybe it just was not to be.

Only Danny himself knows the answer, but I have to applaud how well he took what must have been a disappointing moment.

If those watching could not believe it then goodness knows how Danny felt at the time, but now the dust has settled he should reflect on how well he played.

He’s a big-time player who had a hugely uncharacteristic moment. It happens to us all.

Doug Sanders at St Andrews in 1970 and Jean van de Velde in 1999 at Carnoustie are two infamous examples where victory slipped from their grasp, and it’s how you respond to adversity which matters most.

But I’m sure Luke Donald will be pleased with how well Danny has played all week and in time Danny will come to see that, too.

I can guarantee the chances of him suffering a repeat in the future are slim to none.

Watching Box Office Bryson has become bittersweet

It was bittersweet seeing my box office favourite Bryson DeChambeau back in the headlines at the weekend.

Two incidents summed up why he is such a great entertainer. From the sublime of hitting the ball 350 yards with a six iron, to the ridiculous of clotheslining himself after getting caught in the face by a spectator rope.

The six iron is yet another outrageous moment, but at this point, I expect nothing less from a guy who hits the ball 380 yards over dog-leg water holes.

His power through the ball is incredible.

As for the second incident – I had a chuckle at it but again.

It’s an experience I’ve had the misfortune of being on the end of myself on several occasions.

It really is enough to make your eyes water and I’m not surprised it took him a couple of minutes to recover.

 

That stinging sensation as you try to wipe the tears away is one which is sadly all too familiar for many of us.

The bittersweet feeling comes from the fact we’re not seeing his entertaining ways on the PGA Tour or in Europe anymore.

He has been a headline act – both positive and negative – at times in his career, but I admire the radical methods he has used.

I just wish we could all see it on a more regular basis than we do now he is playing on for LIV Golf.

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