What a week for Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre.
Last Sunday, he was hoisting the Ryder Cup in New York with the European team. Seven days later, he notched his second DP World Tour win in as many years on his home soil.
MORE: Final results, payouts from Dunhill Links Championship
The world No. 9 shot three consecutive 66s to claim the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship by four strokes over his Ryder Cup teammate, Tyrrell Hatton, who was the defending champion.
“Today was difficult with that wind,” MacIntyre, who finished at 18 under, said afterward. “That back nine, not my favorite nine holes, especially at the end. It’s a struggle to get me to hit it far enough right. Lucky enough, the rough is not too bad.”
The tournament was played on Scotland’s three most famed courses, St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, with the final round being contested at the Old Course at St. Andrews.
Saturday’s round was canceled due to high winds, shortening the event to 54 holes, with intense links conditions wreaking havoc on the tournament all week.
Ironically, MacIntyre last year said the Old Course’s historic par-4 17th, known as the “Road Hole,” should be blown up.
“I don’t think there are many worse holes in world golf,” he said a year ago.
“I think it’s a terrible hole off the back tee. It doesn’t need to be modernized; to bring excitement, it needs to be a hole you are able to hit a golf shot into and not one where you just hit it onto the green and try to get up and down.”
And during this year’s final round, he bogeyed the hole, failing to convert a 14-foot putt for par.
But the 29-year-old built up a big enough lead to withstand dropping a shot.
Although MacIntyre's delighted to have secured the win this week, he doesn’t have a grand celebration in him after last week. However, that doesn’t mean the festivities will be put on ice completely.
“We’ll try our best,” he said. “I don't know if it will be tonight, but over the next couple of weeks, we’ll have a nice celebration. Look, any time you can win, it's difficult to win, and yeah, it’s just a beautiful end to a good week.”
More on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Robert MacIntyre Notches Second Victory in a Week at Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
