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Robert MacIntyre Pulls Off PGA Tour ‘Shot of the Year’ on Home Turf at Scottish Open

The lefty from Scotland executed an unbelievable shot at The Renaissance Club, and the circumstances made it even better.

Gabrielle Herzig

Robert MacIntyre Pulls Off PGA Tour ‘Shot of the Year’ on Home Turf at Scottish Open
Robert MacIntyre Pulls Off PGA Tour ‘Shot of the Year’ on Home Turf at Scottish Open /

Robert MacIntyre’s Sunday round at the Genesis Scottish Open looked as though it couldn’t get any better as the 26-year-old native of Oban, Scotland, stepped onto the 18th tee at The Renaissance Club, tied for the lead with Rory McIlroy at 13 under par. 

With four birdies, an eagle and just one bogey in brutal 40 mph wind conditions on the exposed links course, MacIntyre had the best scorecard of the day going—by a lot. And his epic performance was all unfolding among a hometown Scottish crowd. 

On the 18th tee, however, MacIntyre’s look at a win at his own national open looked to be in major jeopardy: He hit a wayward drive that caught a nasty wind gust and sailed miles to the left of the difficult finishing par-4. 

What MacIntyre did next, though, would trump all of the stellar shots he had already executed on Sunday. 

According to Jim Nantz, the shot wasn’t just the best they’d seen all day, it was the best of the year. 

On the 72nd hole of his hometown tournament, MacIntyre found himself with an incredibly lucky lie on a mowed-down pathway among the thick fescue grass. He then took advantage of that favorable break in legendary fashion. 

MacIntyre pulled out a fairway wood and launched a shot directly at the flagstick, knocking his ball to just four feet. The DP World Tour player sunk the putt for birdie, took momentary possession of the solo lead, and absolutely ignited the Scottish crowds on the 18th green. 

“Oh my goodness, what a shot!” Nantz said on CBS’s broadcast. “One of the best shots of the year in golf right there.”

MacIntyre ultimately finished second thanks to a remarkable birdie-birdie finish by Rory McIlroy.

Take a look at the epic scene at The Renaissance Club—and the aftermath—from multiple angles, each seemingly better than the next. 

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Gabrielle Herzig
GABRIELLE HERZIG

Gabrielle Herzig is a Breaking and Trending News writer for Sports Illustrated Golf. Previously, she worked as a Golf Digest Contributing Editor, an NBC Sports Digital Editorial Intern, and a Production Runner for FOX Sports at the site of the 2018 U.S. Open. Gabrielle graduated as a Politics Major from Pomona College in Claremont, California, where she was a four-year member and senior-year captain of the Pomona-Pitzer women’s golf team. In her junior year, Gabrielle studied abroad in Scotland for three months, where she explored the Home of Golf by joining the Edinburgh University Golf Club.

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