Scotland's MacIntyre shows incredible sportsmanship
For 42 faintly ridiculous minutes in the early hours of Monday morning – Oban time – Robert MacIntyre looked like he might become a major champion.
That was the span between his unlikely emergence as co-leader of a sodden US Open and JJ Spaun holing an astonishing 64-foot putt to deny the Scot any hope of a play-off.
Sitting in the clubhouse, a still soaked MacIntyre gawped at the TV screen, clattered his macerated hands together in applause, and mouthed "wow" as his dream died.
"I thought I had this one, to be honest," the 28-year-old admitted, a couple of hours later, as he spoke to the Scottish media from the back of a car leaving the course.
While those behind him on the course were, one-by-one, being washed away at a soggy Oakmont, MacIntyre was the one keeping his head above water amid what he described as "the toughest test I've ever encountered".
Birdie on 14 had returned him to level par for the day and two over in total. Having started the day seven back, he was now tied for the lead.
Sam Burns and Adam Scott had frittered away their overnight advantage. Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Carlos Ortiz were treading water, literally and figuratively.
Spaun – behind MacIntyre on the course – was the only other player heading in the right direction after reaching the turn in a wretched 40. A change of clothes leading to a change of fortune for the Californian who had four birdies in his final seven holes.
Ultimately, the American reached the 18th tee knowing a par would be enough. Bogey would leave him in a play-off with the Scot. His ludicrous birdie took away those doubts.
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What the events of the past week or so in Pennsylvania might also have taken away are questions over MacIntyre's place at the summit of the game.
He might have started the season's third major 20th in the world rankings, but few outside his homeland readily reached for his name among their lists of contenders.
His record in the game's biggest events trends more towards solid than spectacular.
Tied 12th in the 2021 Masters. Tied eighth in last year's US PGA Championship. Tied sixth in the 2019 Open. All impressive, but none were realistic runs at the big prize.
It mirrors his form this season on the PGA Tour. Only two missed cuts but only three top 10s after two breakthrough victories last season.
But what happened at Oakmont was different.
MacIntyre was the only player from the overnight top-10 to break par in the final round. His two-under 68 was one of the best rounds he will likely ever sign for given the conditions, 90-minute mid-round weather delay, and what was at stake.
While others were diminished, he seemed to grow.
"My previous rain-delay comebacks haven't been strong," MacIntyre said. "But today was the day I said to myself, 'why not, why shouldn't it be me?'.
"I've put a lot of work into this – it's not just luck. I just had to trust myself."
That trust took him within a couple of putts of becoming Scotland's first major winner since Paul Lawrie at the equally-sodden 1999 Open.
It also put another $2,322,000 into his increasingly-bulging pockets and hoisted him up to 12th in the world, as well as fourth in the European Ryder Cup standings.
He is due to play again this week at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut. He will then head home to Oban after 11 weeks on the road prior to the defence of his Scottish Open title next month.
The week after that, it's The Open at Royal Portrush and another chance to flex his major muscles at a venue where he started and finished well in 2019, as Shane Lowry romped to victory.
"It's what I dreamed of as a kid, sitting in Oban, watching all the majors," MacIntyre said. "And there's no reason why I can't win one and that's my goal now."
Born and bred in Oban, MacIntyre has lived on a golf course for much of his life.
His bedroom at the family home looks on to the 12th green at Glencruitten Golf Club, where his father Dougie works as greenkeeper.
His mother Carol, without question his biggest fan, regularly travels to America to ensure he gets some home cooking. And sisters Gillian and Nicola gave up plenty of time and opportunities during their own teenage years to support their brother.
More recently, his girlfriend Shannon has been by MacIntyre's side as he travelled around the world pursuing his second favourite sport.
Shinty is his first love, and was a regular with Oban Celtic until he reluctantly had to hang up his Caman lest an injury derailed his golf.
After a successful amateur career, during which he won the Scottish Boys Open, Scottish Championship and Scottish Amateur titles and represented GB&I in the 2017 Walker Cup, MacIntyre made the leap into the professional ranks.
In his first season on the European Tour, he won the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year title. And wins in Cyprus and Italy followed before his victory at the Canadian Open last year – with his dad Dougie on the bag – put his name in lights.
That was quickly followed by his Scottish Open triumph, MacIntyre becoming the first home-based player to win title since Colin Montgomerie in 1999.
Add in being an unbeaten rookie in Luke Donald's European Ryder Cup team in Rome two years ago, and his CV is enviable.
Yet when you speak to him, he remains the humble young man I first met around 14 years ago at a charity event at Kingsfield in West Lothian.
Generous with his time, he always makes a point of walking down the line of the youngsters waiting for an autograph after every round, good or bad, remembering at one point he was in that line as "a wee boy from Oban".
