Home favourite Robert MacIntyre took full advantage of a stroke of luck to win the Scottish Open with a dramatic final birdie putt.
MacIntyre, who was denied the title 12 months ago by Rory McIlroy’s stunning finish, produced one of his own at the Renaissance Club. He rallied to win after trailing Adam Scott by two shots with three holes to play in a rollercoaster final round.
The left-hander made an eagle on the par-five 16th following a brilliant approach shot, albeit only after a free drop from knee-high rough after discovering a sprinkler head near his ball. That took MacIntyre alongside Scott on 17-under-par and, to the delight of a raucous home crowd, he holed from 20 feet for birdie on the 18th to complete a remarkable triumph.
MacIntyre began the day two shots behind Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Åberg and his challenge looked to have fizzled out as he covered his first 13 holes in one-over-par. A long birdie putt across the 14th green saw MacIntyre close the gap to Scott to a single shot before the Australian doubled his lead thanks to a birdie on the 16th.
Former world No 1 Scott looked a certain winner at this point, especially with MacIntyre driving into heavy rough on the par-five 16th. After taking a practice swing, however, MacIntyre discovered a sprinkler near his ball.
The Ryder Cup star was allowed a free drop and took full advantage, hitting a stunning approach from 247 yards to six feet and calmly rolling in the eagle putt before sealing the win with a birdie on the last. He becomes the first Scot to win his home title since Colin Montgomerie at Loch Lomond in 1999.
MacIntyre, who let out a roar of delight after his winning birdie, told Sky Sports: “I think I lost my voice after the scream on that hole. I thought I was short. I’ve put a lot of work into this. I’ve changed a lot within the team and I’ve just worked hard.
“I wanted The Scottish Open,” added the 27-year-old, who grew up in Oban. “I got a bit of luck on 16 that you need to win golf tournaments. I couldn’t believe when I heard a sprinkler under my foot. It was covered and I thought: I got lucky, it was meant to be.”
MacIntyre will now head to Royal Troon for the Open, but made his focus for the next few days clear. “Next week is a new week but I tell you, I’m going to celebrate this with my family, friends, and everyone here. I’m going to celebrate this one hard. We’ll pitch up to the Open when we pitch up to the Open.”
Scott had set the target with a closing 67, the 43-year-old carding seven birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. Scott looked set to win his first title since the Genesis Invitational in February 2020 before MacIntyre’s dramatic late surge.
“There was a lot of good stuff for me this week,” Scott said. “It’s hard to complain about anything. It’s the first time I’ve been in contention this year. I like where my game is headed going into next week. Feel like I’m playing at a high level. [I’m pleased for Bob,” the Australian added. “This is a big win. I played with him yesterday, and you can hear them singing over there. I think that’s awesome for him and hopefully I can take some good form into next week.”
McIlroy, the defending champion, finished in a six-way tie for fourth on 14-under following a closing 68, with Åberg also on the same score after a disappointing 73. France’s Romain Langasque finished third, two shots behind Scott and one ahead of the group featuring McIlroy.
England’s Aaron Rai (14 under) and Sweden’s Alex Noren (13 under) earned places at next week’s Open, along with Richard Mansell, who hit 10 birdies to equal the course record with a round of 61 to grab the final qualification place.