Robert MacIntyre has no love for St. Andrews’ most well-known gap.
Ross Parker/SNS Group through Getty Photos
Robert MacIntyre might maintain the distinction of Scotland’s favourite {golfing} son proper now, however that standing might have taken a success this week.
The 28-year-old from Oban had a breakout rookie season on the PGA Tour, profitable the RBC Canadian Open and later changing into the primary Scot to win his nationwide open since 1999.
MacIntyre was again in his homeland this week for the Alfred Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship on the DP World Tour, performed at Scotland’s most well-known course, the Previous Course at St. Andrews.
However, after his final-round 70 Sunday, MacIntyre had had sufficient of the Previous Course’s most well-known gap.
“Blow it up,” MacIntyre instructed The Scotsman of St. Andrews’ well-known “Street Gap” par-4 seventeenth. “I don’t suppose there are lots of worse holes in world golf.
“I feel it’s a horrible gap off the again tee. It doesn’t must be modernized, to carry pleasure it must be a gap you’ll be able to hit a golf shot into and never one the place you simply hit it onto the inexperienced and attempt to stand up and down.”
The “Street Gap,” which was lengthened to 495 yards earlier than the 2010 Open Championship and requires a blind tee shot over components of the Previous Course lodge, performed because the hardest gap by far this week on the Dunhill. Throughout all 4 rounds (which noticed your entire subject play it at the very least as soon as), it averaged 4.57 strokes and gave up simply seven birdies, none of which got here within the closing spherical.
In contrast, he subsequent hardest gap this week, the 18th gap at early-round co-host Carnoustie, performed almost three-tenths of a shot simpler at 4.31.
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MacIntyre, who missed the inexperienced left each occasions he performed the opening this week, made double Saturday after enjoying his third shot into the street gap bunker. He made bogey Sunday after hitting his second almost on the 18th tee and lacking a 15-footer.
“It nearly performs like a par 5,” MacIntyre continued to The Scotsman. “They attempt to do issues to this golf course that don’t must be completed. At present I rifled a drive off the tee after which a 4-iron and I used to be the furthest up the opening.”
His 70 in Spherical 4 obtained him to 14 underneath for the week which was good for a tie for twenty fifth. Tyrrell Hatton received the occasion for the third time in his profession after a course-record-tying 61 on Saturday. It was Hatton’s first DP World Tour win since he signed with LIV Golf earlier this season.
