OBAN, Scotland — You’re born right into a world surrounded by marvel, strolling out the again door of the greenskeeper’s home, your private home, to lookup on the mountainous twelfth fairway hoping sometime to make that climb. You go into city peering on the horseshoe-shaped Oban Bay protected by the mounds of the island of Kerrera, simply shy of the Isle of Mull. Awe is your norm. Magnificence is your base. So irrespective of how far you rise, how a lot your reward takes you to every nook of the world and supplies you with a lavish life-style and mind-boggling alternatives, it simply doesn’t fairly really feel proper. You crave regular. Your regular.
You win tournaments in Cyprus and Italy. You play in a Ryder Cup. You make the PGA Tour. The good sport takes you locations, and it feels applicable to decide to your future by shifting to Florida. There comes some extent in lots of lives when you must select whether or not house is who you’re or house is what propels you to your potential.
You contend for a PGA Championship. Two weeks later you win your first PGA Tour occasion. Your life is changing into all the things you dreamed.
However you aren’t glad.
You lengthy for the Glencruitten Golf Membership clubhouse, the comfortable little one-story shack in Oban the place a reporter can stroll in to seek out eight males leaning again in a semicircle of chairs, pints in hand at midday on a Tuesday, trying up with a smirk as they’re requested in the event that they know Bob Macintyre.
“Bob who?” a white-haired man asks with a straight face.
Bob Macintyre. The satisfaction of Scottish golf. The 27-year-old lefty growing into one of many higher golfers on the earth.
“Who’s he?” the person asks once more.
Neil Armour maintains the stare till he pulls up his telephone which already has a photograph of the boyish, soft-featured Macintyre in a smooth, well-tailored go well with sitting within the Royal Field at Wimbledon the day earlier than. They’re passing the telephone round chuckling the way in which pricey family and friends actually do when humbling a member of the tribe who’s made it large. Sure, they know Macintyre all too properly. These are the boys who watched Bob, Dougie the greenskeeper’s son, develop up at Glencruitten. They watched him study the sport “as a wee lad” enjoying Glencruitten’s again 4 holes on the opposite aspect of the street on a relentless loop till Dougie felt he was prepared for the remainder. They noticed him hit a hole-in-one by age 12 and win the native junior match 4 years in a row. They drove him to tournaments and a few helped out financially when it was crucial. They play shinty with him at Oban Celtic and clamor for his mom Carol’s scones.
“Aye, he’s an ideal boy,” Neil MacDougall says. “Effectively grounded. Good younger lad.”
Because of this Bob Macintyre isn’t glad. He’s dwelling in Orlando. He’s a member on the prestigious Isleworth Golf and Nation Membership. He’s made $3 million the final seven months alone. Nevertheless it’s simply totally different. It’s much less communal. In America, the professionals journey in groups with their swing coach, physiotherapist, psychologist, supervisor and so forth. It’s a enterprise. Whereas arising in Europe they’d journey with different professionals spending evenings studying about one another’s lives most nights over lunch within the clubhouse or dinner and drinks. He admits he and his girlfriend, Shannon, really feel lonely.
A scene in Oban, a city of 8,000 individuals. (Brody Miller / The Athletic)
He goes again residence at any time when he can, spending three weeks again in Oban earlier than his breakthrough win on the Canadian Open in June. As a substitute of taking that victory into the signature occasion, the Memorial, he flew proper again residence the following week for a celebration.
This week, Macintyre performs the Scottish Open in North Berwick earlier than heading to Royal Troon for an Open Championship in Scotland. In order Macintyre finds himself torn between the 2 parallel paths of who he really is — as he tries to determine the place he desires to spend his life — I felt compelled to drive from Edinburgh to this little fishing city on the western coast of Scotland to seek out out why this 8,000-person city has such a maintain on the person. We realized one thing about residence.
“I simply discover I get introduced again down-to-earth …,” Macintyre says. “After I return to Oban, I get handled as Bob, one of many boys, not Robert Macintyre, the golfer. I believe that’s the way in which it must be.”
The second has gone viral now — you’ve absolutely seen it — however watch it once more, particularly the minute earlier than the microphone goes to Dougie Macintyre. He hovered just a few toes away from his son, slowly scanning his head across the scene in Hamilton, Ontario. He had a glance of awe, taking in his son’s first PGA Tour victory whereas carrying his golf equipment. Macintyre wanted a caddie for simply the Canadian Open. Most caddies didn’t need a one-week gig, so he referred to as his father up in Oban. Dougie hopped on a flight to Ottawa. 5 days later they have been victors. Collectively.
As CBS reporter Amanda Balionis motioned towards Dougie to ask him a query, he appeared to barely again away. He’s not a talker. However Dougie was, whether or not he favored it or not, the story of the week. Perhaps much more than his son. She went to the opposite aspect and cornered him. He may hardly get the phrases out.
“Unbelievable. I’m a grass-cutter,” Dougie stated, pausing to show and maintain again tears with Bob lovingly patting his head. “Not a caddie. Not a caddie. Actually, it’s unbelievable.”
“I needed to win this for my dad.” ❤️
Robert MacIntyre spoke to our @Amanda_Balionis on what it meant profitable the @RBCCanadianOpen along with his father on the bag. pic.twitter.com/aMeTEgDdEz
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) June 2, 2024
Again residence, they have been packed into the clubhouse watching and cheering. They knew how surreal this was for Dougie, who’s greater than a grass-cutter. They knew how particular. Dougie was an athlete, an ideal shinty participant however good at soccer and golf too. He didn’t have the funds to chase it. He turned a greenskeeper at Glencruitten and raised 4 children in the home by the twelfth gap and introduced in foster children too. Bob’s two older sisters have been expert horse riders, they usually additionally made sacrifices to provide Bob the chance. Bob was the one with the chance to do extra, and Dougie coached him.
“He was the one one,” Armour stated. “You’ll hear different individuals say they coached Bob however they didn’t. Bob’s dad coached him.”
On this Tuesday, Dougie was on the mower chopping the grass on an unpleasant day of Scottish climate. The course is a beast, a brief however absurdly hilly 18 holes of steep inclines and tight fairways. “You possibly can see how Bob acquired so good,” membership captain Kenny Devine stated. They solely have three mowers and the gear is in want of updating. Dougie doesn’t complain. He hopped off the mower as he noticed a stranger approaching. He’s used to reporters being right here by now, however he’s not used to it.
He turned pink solely to smile and say within the sweetest manner potential, “No, no, I don’t do interviews. Be happy to speak to anybody. I simply don’t… yeah … I’m sorry.”
Dougie and Carol raised their children to be humble. Macintyre wasn’t in a position to play a lot junior golf as a result of they couldn’t afford it. Members took turns driving him to the occasions he may play and a few carried his bag. Elevating a golfer was a communal endeavor, nevertheless it meant they have been all a part of it.
James Forgrieve was an ideal golfer right here in his personal proper and a distinguished determine within the space. When requested what a younger Macintyre was like, he dryly quipped, “Oh, a cheeky —” earlier than laughing and correcting himself. “No no, at all times a really quiet lad.”
“James was actually supportive to Bob and all of the juniors,” his nephew Duncan Forgrieve stated. “When Bob was coming via and possibly issues weren’t so good, lots of people helped him in numerous methods and James is in that class.”
It’s not the norm for a golfer to take this a lot satisfaction of their residence. They may get introduced by the starter as from their city or converse fondly of it, however all of them are inclined to stay in Florida or Arizona now. Few really feel as intertwined with residence as Macintyre. It’s on the core of his identification — Bob from Oban — and it really works each methods. Macintyre has helped put the place on the map. It’s slightly resort city, a cease for vacationers on their technique to the isles to the northwest. It has a powerful fishing business and delightful websites like McCaig’s Tower, which is made from Bonawe granite and overlooks the town and bay. Instantly it boasts itself as “The Dwelling of Robert Macintyre,” with indicators all through the city. Folks come to Glencruitten simply to play his residence course. Scotland is understood for golf, however at its core Oban is extra of a shinty city. It’s a bodily, intense sport. Duncan described it as “hockey with out the principles,” and Macintyre nonetheless performs for Oban Celtic. He realized to not preserve jewellery on just a few years in the past when it acquired caught and practically took off his finger.
“Aye, excellent. Excellent,” Duncan stated. “He’s robust and decided. Resourceful.”
“And scorching tempered!” one other man shouted throughout the bar.
These are Macintyre’s individuals. When he earned the ultimate automated qualifying spot for the 2023 Ryder Cup, he flew 15-20 of them to Rome and set them up in a villa. As a substitute of flying again privately like most of his friends would, he switched to a industrial flight and flew residence with the crew. After they returned, Macintyre went from college to highschool within the space with the cup to talk and present the children. That evening, that they had a celebration “busting on the seams” at Glencruitten with a band enjoying and everyone posing for photos, Macintyre fortunately smiling the entire evening.
“It was a superb west coast cèilidh,” Duncan stated.
However as Macintyre left Oban this yr to play full time on the PGA Tour in America for the primary time, the homesickness didn’t go away. He went forwards and backwards as a lot as he may. He clarified he wasn’t having extreme psychological well being points, however “I simply didn’t have my mojo.” It at all times took returning to Oban to spark his sport. One couldn’t assist however marvel if it was sustainable.
“He nonetheless has wee spells,” James stated. “If he hasn’t acquired the girlfriend there or one thing, he’s a little bit of a loner. He’s a social man, however he’s a loner at occasions. The factor he seems ahead to is getting residence.”
Right here he’s, again in Scotland at his nationwide open, sitting down in an argyle hat to characterize a neighborhood basis and able to converse to a bunch of reporters. He sees a set of veteran Scottish reporters within the entrance row. “There he’s,” he says to 1 with a smile. He’s comfy right here.
He talks about going again residence once more not too long ago, how when he’s residence he doesn’t choose up a membership and doesn’t exit a lot in any respect. He simply sinks into the normalcy of residence, consuming a few of Carol’s baking (after one in all his first wins he purchased his mom a brand new kitchen) and having lunch with the blokes at Glencruitten.
However he’s requested about Florida. About how he balances making an attempt to make Florida a brand new residence whereas staying related to the place that made him.
“My hire is up I take into consideration the top of August, and I don’t assume I’ll be getting it renewed to be sincere,” Macintyre says. “Scotland is my residence, and yeah, I’ve joined Isleworth. That can at all times be a spot I am going and observe within the wintertime however there’s nothing like residence. Scotland, that is the place I need to be.”
Glencruitten Golf Membership in Oban, Scotland. (Brody Miller / The Athletic)
He’s staying on the PGA Tour. His transfer again gained’t change his skilled profession. He’ll possibly hire a home in Florida throughout winter months so he can observe extra however deep down, it’s not residence and he doesn’t assume it ever will likely be.
On this determination, Macintyre discovered the trail in between. Dwelling may be the place that holds you again. Consolation builds confidence, however consolation may also cease you from increasing into who you’re meant to be. Macintyre took the danger. He left residence and tried to take the leap into changing into an elite golfer. In actuality, residence was by no means holding Macintyre again. Oban, Glencruitten and all of the individuals in between? They have been those who acquired him right here. They’re those pushing him ahead.
So earlier than I made the drive again to Edinburgh, I walked the course that made Bob Macintyre. It was grueling however lovely, a inexperienced canvas crammed with daunting hills and difficult method pictures. Two Oban males have been strolling up the twelfth fairway that feels prefer it’s on a 100-yard incline. “That is the opening Bob realized to play golf on!” Declan Curran stated. They defined the way it’s a course of selections, with dangers and rewards primarily based on determining how you can play the wind and the elevation.
Bob Macintyre grew up studying how you can make the alternatives with the intention to turn into an ideal golfer. This time, he selected Oban.
(Prime picture: Andrew Redington / Getty Photos)