Robert MacIntyre steeled himself through a difficult season by “working like hell” and it paid off with his career-best win in the Open D’Italia.
The Scot is in France this week seeking to build on the big win against a quality field in Rome on Sunday.
That ended a dry spell in which he himself doubted whether things would come round. But he stressed he always had faith in what he was doing.
‘It’s the most I’ve worked, the smartest’
Rome has been conquered! 🇮🇹🏆#DS79OpendItalia @DPWorldTour pic.twitter.com/i9fFjQIDXl
— Robert MacIntyre (@robert1lefty) September 18, 2022
“I’ve been working like hell the last two months,” he said. “I feel like it’s the most I’ve worked, the smartest I’ve worked and that’s thanks to the people around me.
“I know the level of golf I can play to, and where I believe I should be. It was a slow start to the season with not many great finishes.
“I’d made a lot of changes and I was doubting myself from time to time.
“You just have to let it be. If you trust what you are doing, that’s all you can do. Wait on something good to happen.
“My game had been right there. I was disappointed with my results during the stretch from Switzerland through to Italy. I knew good things were coming, but it was just a case of when. Thankfully it was a big one.”
‘It’s massive for my belief, confidence, everything’
SCOTLAND'S PRIDE…🏴🥰
Great night meeting up with 'local' @finn_russell and @grantforrest93 for @robert1lefty's Winner's Dinner in Versailles 🏉🏴⛳️@PinhighMike@ChristyyFarrell
Of course it had to be an Italian…🤷🏽♂️🏆🇮🇹
⛳️🇨🇵🏌🏼♂️😎 pic.twitter.com/GGx3bibc5v
— Bounce (@bouncespmgt) September 20, 2022
The left-hander knew he could compete with the top players, but Rome was evidence he could beat them as well. Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy were chasing him down on Sunday.
“It’s massive for my belief, confidence, everything,” he said. “When it went to that play-off, it’s a lottery. I’ve been in one before and it didn’t go my way, thankfully this one did.
“It’s just the belief it gives you. I knew I could compete with them, I just didn’t know if I could get it over the line when it went to the nitty-gritty bit. But I managed and it is such a relief that I did.”
The ‘refresh’ MacIntyre did this summer has paid dividends. New swing coach Simon Shanks came in, Stuart Morgan is analysing his stats. And he’s gone back to using the DECADE system he used in his great run of 2018 to 2020.
“Stuart I started working about a year ago,” he continued. “I’d plateaued, I felt I was on a level where I was stuck. Stuart comes on board, looks at all the stats he can look at, looks at the areas I need to work on.
“For me, it was 100 (yards from the flag) to 175, that was my biggest area for improvement. He’s just structured a practice programme for me, when to do it, how much to do. And it’s been massive, it showed on Sunday it’s working.
“At Marco Simone there was a premium on the long game and your iron play. On the front nine on Sunday, that was probably the best I’ve hit it yet.”
‘You have to keep pushing yourself forward’
DECADE is another stats system based around strategy.
“I’d done it in 2018-19 and it worked well then but then we went away from it,” he said. “Golf was pretty easy for me in 2018-29-20! We’ve just gone back to it and refreshed it and it’s been good the last couple of weeks.
“You have to be patient, but you also have to keep pushing yourself forward. It’s a game where if you are standing still, you are getting overtaken.
“I am pushing every week. Even this week, yesterday I did some good work and today I’ll be doing some more good work with Simon.
“It’s about keeping on trying to get better and, if I’m doing that, these good weeks are going to happen more often.”
‘It’s just about me’
Hopefully back here this time next year @RyderCupEurope 🚀🦋 pic.twitter.com/lpqUlk9QQ3
— Robert MacIntyre (@robert1lefty) September 14, 2022
Ryder Cups and PGA Tour cards can wait a bit longer, the focus is on finishing this year strongly.
“Those were my goals towards the end of last year,” he said. “It didn’t work out. I chased my PGA Tour card, that didn’t work out. But I have no regrets on that.
“Obviously, you get another opportunity, I’m older, I’m somewhat wiser, I’m a better golfer, so it’s just about me. I know what I am capable of, I showed that on Sunday and it’s about going out to do that more often.
“It’s nice to get messages from (European captain) Luke Donald. But it doesn’t change the way I am going to approach things.
“I’ll just keep doing what I do, setting a standard for myself. Keep improving, look forward and take what you get.”
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