Robert MacIntyre’s frustrations with an opening 74 at the BMW PGA Championship were obvious, but he was still beaming with pride – at his mum, Carol.
Just after MacIntyre and his group approached the first green at Wentworth an elderly male spectator collapsed in the galleries. Bob’s mum was quick to the scene, cradling the man and helping to cool him down while medics and eventually an ambulance were called.
Play was delayed by half an hour and another spectator took ill during the wait.
‘She’s cared for so many older folk’
“She’s some machine is Carol Mac,” said MacIntyre. “That’s the way I’ve been brought up. If I was in that position, I’d have been there trying to help. Hopefully the guy is alright.
“I could see it was her cradling the guy. She knows what she’s doing in those situations. She’s a jack of all trades, but she’s done nursing and cared for so many older folk down the years.
“She’s not a doctor or can diagnose anything, but she knows the basics and she knew how to cool the guy down.
“She would have done that for her worst enemy if it came to it. She’s one of those people.”
‘Sometimes I get on at her for doing too much’
TEE TO GREEN, STEVE SCOTT: Sky’s the limit for Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and his faithful crew
Carol and dad Dougie are usually a supportive presence at tournaments for Bob but they always go the extra mile. The couple also foster young children from problem homes.
“Sometimes I get on at her for doing too much for folk,” added Bob. “But, in a situation like that, if she is on hand, then great. People gave them time and space and respected what was going on and we players also did that.
“It wasn’t nice, but we took our time and let everyone deal with what happened. I think another woman went down on the other side.
“I saw the ambulance moving away when we were on the second green.”
The incident didn’t distract the Scot – he birdied the second, the fifth and sixth holes – but his frustrations were clear at the end.
‘It’s driving me insane’
“Today sums up the way I am playing,” he said. “Fifteen greens in regulation, I’m putting beautifully and I’m two-over par.
“I’m just hitting it far too far away from holes. I’ve got control of the ball. I hit just one bad tee shot on the 17th. I’m just not hitting it close enough and it’s driving me insane.
“Even on the last there, I’ve hit a good tee-shot. Two-iron in my hand and I have wiped it left. It was high in the rough. It’s the way the course is set up. You can’t guarantee the contact on the ball. It’s what makes it such a good course.”
His chances of the result he needs to make the Ryder Cup team automatically are now probably gone. Padraig Harrington’s vice-captain Graeme McDowell was playing with MacIntyre and Alex Noren, which suggests the skipper was taking Bob’s chances seriously.
‘This course suits me absolutely perfectly’
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“I’m expecting to back that up with a good score tomorrow,” he said. “The golf course suits me absolutely perfectly and that’s the most disappointing part of it.
“I felt the game had been good, I was putting it well and I got off to a great start, but the par-5s are just killing me just now.
“I want to be fighting for tournaments and just now I’m fighting to make cuts.
“I’ve just not got it just now. Golf is beating me up at the moment, but I’ll get my time to beat it up soon.”
Calum Hill’s outside chance of a qualifying spot vanished when he fell foul of Wentworth’s closing stretch.
The 26-year-old from Perthshire needs to win the title to make the Ryder Cup team. But his first competitive trip around the West Course it proved as unforgiving as its reputation.
A drive out of bounds like MacIntyre in the group before at 17 and a visit to the water feature at the 18th meant he finished bogey-double-bogey for a six-over par 78.
‘Attack golf’ but no ‘Hollywood shots’ for Robert MacIntyre at Wentworth