– Robert MacIntyre is currently the standout player at the BMW Championship, the second playoff of the Fedex Cup. He has set a pace in the first two rounds that no one has been able to match, and today he will tee off in the leading group with a five-shot lead over his closest competitor, Scottie Scheffler, his playing partner. It’s been some time since it was a surprise for this player to capture attention every now and then, but it’s always good to learn something new. And yesterday, when he spoke to the media after finishing his round, the Scotsman shared at least three interesting insights.
– The first one refers to a profound change in his season planning that goes far beyond technical aspects. In 2024, his first year as a full member of the PGA Tour (albeit with a modest category), MacIntyre tried to adapt to his new environment in the best way possible by staying in the United States during many of the weeks he wasn’t competing, between tournaments, to avoid the hustle and fatigue of frequent transoceanic travel. However, in 2025, he decided to make the effort to travel more to his homeland, to Oban, Scotland, to his home. “I no longer spend my free weeks here in the United States. Last year we tried living here, but now I travel a lot. Yes, I love my home. It’s no secret. It probably won’t change. But everything that matters to me is in Scotland, so why be anywhere else?” he explained yesterday with great simplicity. The truth is, last year went very well for him (he won twice, the Scottish and the Canadian Open), but he feels more comfortable this way and there’s nothing more to discuss.
– The second key is related to taking special care of something we do every day and which is of vital importance, even though we sometimes forget its significance. “A very successful Scottish athlete told me that sleep is the most important thing he learned in his career, and it’s something I prioritise every day. Probably one of the best Scottish sportsmen, Andy Murray. When I played a pro-am with him, it was one of the things I asked him, and he said the most important thing he learned for recovery was sleep, so I took note.” In other words: take care of sleep hours and ensure effective rest during them. It’s not a bad piece of advice, whether you’re a professional golfer or not…
– The third key involves the analysis the player conducts with his team of any situation or statistic. “We realised that statistically my scoring average wasn’t as good in the morning as it was in the afternoon. We analysed it, looked for the causes, and although we haven’t found a scientific answer, we’ve resolved it between my team and me. Now I’m warming up before my rounds, using resistance bands, heart rate monitors, and everything else, stretching and working out in the gym before playing to be ready when I go out to play.” The famous activation. It seems Robert was a bit more old school in this regard…
– The facts are: MacIntyre didn’t do badly at all in 2024, a year in which he secured two victories on the PGA Tour (at the Canadian and Scottish Opens), but he feels even sharper this season, having come closer than ever to winning his first Major, with that second place at the US Open. Either way, in just a month and a half, he’ll be playing his second Ryder with a significant difference compared to the first: in Rome, it wasn’t really known what to expect from the Scotsman, but at Bethpage, he’ll arrive as a heavyweight in world golf and, therefore, with more responsibilities. It will be interesting to see how he handles playing in the final group on Saturday alongside the great dominator of world golf.
