Robert MacIntyre caught fire at The Players to thrust himself into contention over the weekend.
A second round 65 brought him right into the mix, and his play over the front nine saw the Scot creep towards the top of the leaderboard on Sunday.
Unfortunately, mistakes on the back nine cost him a chance to win. He chipped into the water on 16 to end his hopes at TPC Sawgrass, but a 10-under-par weekend meant it was a top-five performance and an impressive showing.
The day after the result, MacIntyre took to social media to share his thoughts on his performance.
Robert MacIntyre said he wouldn’t change anything about his week at The Players
Ultimately, it wasn’t the weekend that cost MacIntyre a chance to win The Players. He entered the third round at even par, so his heroics over the next two days put him in a position no one expected him to be in come the back nine on Sunday.
He explained why he was encouraged by the week on X after The Players: “Gutted with how it finished but that’s golf. Would I change how I done anything coming in?
“No… some days you’re the dog and others you’re the lamppost
Being in the hunt on a Sunday at an iconic golf course is why we play golf
“Home time”.
Now for MacIntyre, a well-earned rest just three weeks before The Masters.
Robert MacIntyre withdraws from first event after The Players
A stacked field at the Valspar Championship got a little weaker after MacIntyre confirmed his withdrawal from the event just a day after his Players Championship disappointment.
He and Sudarshan Yellamaraju, who achieved by far the best result of his young career, will not be teeing off at Innisbrook this week, in an event that has proved to be vital Masters preparation in years past.
The field is still full of the best talent on the PGA Tour, however, as players gear up for Augusta. Xander Schauffele, off the back of a top-three at Sawgrass, leads the field, which consists of Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland and Brooks Koepka.
As for MacIntyre, the Houston Open will likely be his next appearance if he wants a competitive tune-up before the first major of the year, as he looks to become the first Scot to win a Green Jacket since Sandy Lyle in 1988.
