& # 039; My golf swing comes from shinty & # 039;

Robert MacIntyre is one of the four Scots who emerged from the Challenge Tour last year

"If I ever had a good game, then golf would take place in the background because I could play golf every other day of the week . "

Robert MacIntyre ended unbelievably in 2018, earned his European Tour card in November, before he achieved two top-15 finishes at elite level in December.

But it is only six years since he started taking golf seriously. Until that time was the passion of the Scot for Shinty, and he played for his local club, Oban Camanachd, between 13 and 17 years.

"One of my friends broke his thumb and that made me realize that I could not afford to get a pin in my hand," he told BBC Scotland. "That was in one of my last shinty games before I decided to go all out with this golf thing."

& # 39; My golf swing comes from shinty & # 39;

The & # 39; golf-thing & # 39; has turned out to be quite spectacular so far for the son of a greenkeeper.

MacIntyre & # 39; s father Dougie has worked at Glencruitten Golf Club in Oban for more than 20 years and the parental home overlooks the 12th tee.

During his younger days, MacIntyre and his two older sisters would "have a slap" on the four holes closest to the house after his father finished working.

But he maintains that it is his years that he plays shinty – instead of those formative experiences – that have formed his current career.

"The eye-hand coordination in my wave comes from my shinty," he said. "I have hit a shimmering ball since I could walk.

" I played a lot at the front, so I had a flat stick. Sometimes you had to play a ball about 20 meters in the air, so you had to open the stick. It was just instinctive and most of my golf is like that.

"Tee to green you have to hit it and shinty encourages the movement of a golf swing."

& # 39; Playing with Els made me realize that I could compete & # 39;

Robert MacIntyre was joined by Ernie Els, left, in his third round in the South African Open

Lefthanded MacIntyre became professional in 2017 and the Scottish Amateur Champion in 2015 mentions one of his various awards.

He was one of the four Scots to have a successful enough 2018 season on the Challenge Tour for the dream come true & # 39; earn a European Tour Card.

The start-up started in December and finished in the top 15 at the South African Open in Johannesburg and the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Leopard Creek.

In both cases he played a round in the company of four-time winner Ernie Els.

"That night I sat down and thought" wow, look where we are now "," MacIntyre said. "It was a bit of a shock for it system for someone from a small city like Oban to finally achieve what I have achieved.

"It would not feel any different until I played with one of the players the big boys, and for me to keep mine, was a real encouragement, I realized that I could really compete there.

"At the last hole in Jo & # 39; burg Ernie said that I had to do what I was doing. I could not really ask for a better year, except to get a victory under my belt, but that will come. "