Robert MacIntyre who won the Canadian Open on Sunday morning.
By Bill Heaney
There will be singing and dancing in the streets of Oban all day today to celebrate the victory of former Oban High School pupil Robert MacIntyre, a left-handed shinty player, in the PGA Canadian Open at Hamilton Country Club in Ontario.
Four strokes ahead entering the final round at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, MacIntyre shot a 2-under 68 to beat playing partner Ben Griffin by a stroke. On the par-4 18th, the 27-year-old Scottish left-hander two-putted for par from 12 feet, holing out from 1½ feet.
MacIntyre finished at 16-under 264 for the breakthrough victory in his 45th career PGA Tour start. The former McNeese State player was a member of Europe’s winning 2023 Ryder Cup team and has two European tour victories, the 2020 Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown and 2022 Italian Open. Griffin had a 65.
A proud son of the West Highland town and member of Glencruiten Golf Club since he was a child, Bob said it was a dream come true. He couldn’t believe he had achieved such success or that he had his father, Dougie, the head greenkeeper at Glencruiten, with his father “on the bag” – acting as his caddy.
There were tears of joy in the eyes of both men at the end of four fabulous days during which Bob had meticulously navigated the Hamilton fairways and greens and had come out on top in the end with world stars such as Rory McIlroy in his wake.
Robert MacIntyre now has the mega rich world of golf at his feet and will go on from here to compete in all the most prestigious tournaments.
He said: “I have had tremendous support from my family, from my girlfriend, Shannon, from my friends and the whole town of Oban who have been right behind me all the way and I cannot thank them enough.”
Oban is expected to go en fete when Robert and his father arrive home in the holiday resort cum fishing port later this week.
“It will be some party to celebrate this,” he told the world’s media.
Robert was given a civic reception by Argyll and Bute Council when he was part of the European team which won the Ryder Cup.