[PHOTOS: Jan Kruger]
It’s been quite a two-week whirlwind for Robert MacIntyre.
The 29-year-old lefty from Scotland partied late into the night and early morning last weekend after his beloved Europe team made history by beating the US at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York.
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If you’ve paid any attention, you’ve probably seen myriad social media posts about the revelry in the bus ride back to the European team hotel and then much more once there.
There were hangovers galore, you can be sure. But MacIntyre made his way back to his native Scotland to prepare for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, as did Ryder Cup teammates Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood.
“The energy levels are quite low,” said MacIntyre, who went 1-1-1 in his three matches in New York. “It’s difficult. But you’ve just got to try and manage it, have a few good things in a round. Yeah, you’ve just got to enjoy yourself as much as you can. I don’t know if I’ll enjoy myself over the next two days with the weather, but we’ll see what we can do.”
Well, he won.
The finishing touch to a brilliant round of 66 for @robert1lefty 🙌 #DunhillLinks pic.twitter.com/L182M9BTKP
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) October 5, 2025
MacIntyre shot three rounds of 66 at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and the Old Course to shoot 18-under 198 at an event that was shortened to 54 holes because the entire third round was cancelled because of dangerous winds.
The Dunhill Links format has all teams play the three courses before everyone plays on the Old Course in the fourth round. With the third round cancelled, each golfer played the course they were scheduled to play. Thankfully for MacIntyre, he finished on the best of them all, the venerable Old Course, meaning he ended on the historic 18th hole.
“Today was difficult with that wind,” MacIntyre said. “The back nine, not my favourite nine holes, especially at the end there. It’s a struggle to get me to hit it far enough right when out-of-bounds is sitting there waiting on you.
“A great week. Delighted how it’s gone.”
MacIntyre said that is second-round 66 at Kingsbarns was as good as he could possibly play, considering the tough conditions. It was there where he made seven birdies and a bogey. In fact, not only did all three days produce the same score, all three days included seven birdies and a lone bogey.
The final round was fairly anticlimactic as MacIntyre opened with four birdies on his first seven holes to build a comfortable lead. When he was done it wasn’t clear he’d won, although his closest pursuer, Richard Sterne, was a few shots back with four holes to play at the more difficult Carnoustie Links. Sterne tied for third place with John Parry. Hatton shot a final-round 65 alongside MacIntyre to sneak into second place, four shots behind. Matt Jones was the pick of the large Australian contingent in Scotland, sharing 40th place at seven-under.
“I’ve done everything against the book this week,” MacIntyre said. “I pitched up Wednesday afternoon… played about 12 holes. And the diet has not been good this week, I can confirm that. I’ve eaten plenty of takeaways. Sometimes when you least expect it, things happen.”
This was MacIntyre’s fourth career DP World Tour victory, his most recent coming at the 2024 Scottish Open. He was already inside the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking at No.9 and will move up. He was the fourth Scot to win the Dunhill Links and the first Scot to win since Colin Montgomerie in 2005.
“I played beautifully, controlled the golf ball well,” MacIntyre said. “Three rounds of six-under is not bad.
“I don’t know we’re going to celebrate after the celebration we had last Sunday, but we’ll try our best. I don’t know if it’ll be tonight but over the next couple of weeks we’ll have a nice celebration.”
