Robert MacIntyre reschedules 2024 Open Championship press conference after drinking whiskey out of the Scottish Open trophy
Robert MacIntyre won the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday, July 14, becoming the first Scot to win the national open in 25 years. The celebrations following his triumph were of such magnitude that they spilled over into the week of the Open Championship.
MacIntyre was scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday at Royal Troon Golf Club, home of the season's final major. However, the Scot rescheduled it for Wednesday, the same day he was spotted drinking whiskey with his father from the Scottish Open trophy.
Robert MacIntyre himself said in the post-victory press conference that he would be "celebrating hard" despite having to play the final major of the season next week.
"You’ve got to celebrate the good times because it doesn’t happen a lot and this is one I said I wanted," MacIntyre said, via Golfweek. "This, I’m going to celebrate hard and I’ll pitch up when I tee the ball on Thursday, whatever time I tee off, I’ll try to win the championship. There might be some alcohol still in the system but I will try my best."
However, Robert MacIntyre is already at Royal Troon for the Open Championship. On Tuesday, the Scot completed his first practice round at the venue, which is about 100 miles from Oban, where he was born and raised.
MacIntyre is in his rookie season on the PGA Tour. In the past six weeks, he has won his first two tour events, the RBC Canadian Open and the Genesis Scottish Open.
In addition to his two wins, Robert MacIntyre has three other top 10 finishes in 20 events played.
A look back at Robert MacIntyre's win at the Genesis Scottish Open
Robert MacIntyre started the Genesis Scottish Open with a first-round 67, then improved his score to 65 on Friday. The Scot moved deep into title contention on the so-called "Moving Day" when he carded a 63.
MacIntyre began the final round three shots behind provisional leader Ludvig Åberg. While the Swede did not have a good round (73), the Scot kept pace and remained at the top of the leaderboard.
His main rival was Adam Scott, who led for most of the round. But MacIntyre eagled the 16th to tie him for the lead, leaving the tournament to be decided over the final two holes.
Scott parred the 17th and 18th, while MacIntyre birdied his last shot to win. It was the first time a Scot had won the local Open since Colin Montgomerie in 1999.
During the fourth round, there was a controversial play involving MacIntyre. The Scot stepped on a sprinkler head while trying to play a ball in the rough, earning him a free drop. The controversy arose because MacIntyre had taken a practice swing with more power than usual. Some fans have questioned the legality of the rules officials' decision to allow the free drop.