Although the call sounded desperate, it wasn’t nearly a final resort.
Robert MacIntyre need an interim caddie for the RBC Canadian Open after splitting ways with his previous caddy at the Charles Schwab Challenge. After a few unanswered requests, MacIntyre called his dad Dougie, who was his backup plan.
Dougie MacIntyre is the chief greenkeeper at Glencruitten Golf Club and resides in MacIntyre’s hometown of Oban, Scotland. Although the Scotsman didn’t want to bother his father, he is well-versed in his son’s game. He was coached by him till he was 14 or 15 years old. Despite not having the money to help him reach his full potential at the top level of the sport, he was an excellent local player.
Dougie MacIntyre hadn’t caddied since the DP World Tour Q-School in the fall of 2017, but this week was a crucial point in his son’s rookie season on the PGA TOUR. The highly anticipated MacIntyre, 27, came to Canada ranked No. 75 in the FedExCup standings, just outside of the FedExCup Playoffs qualifying window. When the person called to clarify that he could take the week off from work, the response was a resounding yes.
More than they could have ever dreamed resulted from that call. At the RBC Canadian Open, MacIntyre won his first PGA TOUR championship after shooting a final-round 68 at Hamilton Golf & Country Club to finish 16-under 264, one shot ahead of Ben Griffin. After a thrilling one-stroke loss to Rory McIlroy at the Genesis Scottish Open last summer, MacIntyre not only gets the proverbial monkey off his back, but he also secures his exempt PGA TOUR status through 2026 and earns a spot in the remaining Signature Events of this season. Additionally, he is comfortably ranked among the top 60 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. As a result, he may postpone his Monday tee time at the 36-hole U.S. Open Final Qualifying, where his father was also scheduled to play.
Since Jack Slocum caddied his son Heath to victory on the PGA TOUR in the 2005 Southern Farm Bureau Classic, Dougie MacIntyre is the only parent to accomplish this feat. This is by no means a permanent arrangement; MacIntyre said that following his triumph in Canada, he has added a full-time caddy to his schedule, who will begin at this week’s Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. He joked afterwards that although he would have preferred to celebrate his birthday back home in Oban, he thought a trip to Muirfield Village wouldn’t be too awful.
MacIntyre is a TOUR veteran who is well-known for his humility and politeness, traits he undoubtedly got from his father. Dougie and her mother Carol have been foster parents for a long time; MacIntyre has several foster brothers and sisters while growing up. The MacIntyre family wasn’t very wealthy, and he didn’t always have the best opportunities in junior golf competitions, but he was always supported, loved, and encouraged. He learnt not to take things for granted and came to realize the difficult upbringings of his foster siblings and sisters some of them had been mistreated or ignored. Following his son’s triumph on Sunday in southern Ontario, Dougie MacIntyre engaged in conversation and joined the young supporters in their celebration by giving away golf balls and towels.
“It seems to make you understand that there are other things in life besides striking a white ball around a golf course. Kids leaving you I mean, I’ve been crying about it. They unite as a family. They’ve been in a difficult situation. As a child, I wasn’t given everything. I had a fantastic opportunity. It’s clear that my dad was an excellent athlete , he played football, golf, and shinty ,but he didn’t have the resources to pursue his passions. My two elder sisters, who are passionate about horses and horseback riding, gave up a lot of their interests to offer me the opportunity.
We couldn’t afford it, therefore as a junior I was unable to participate in golf events. Not getting anything, in my opinion, is what made me fight and never give up. They really did give me a good amount. They never spoon-fed me; instead, they gave me the chance. I constantly fought for every last piece of it.”McIntyre said.
At Hamilton Golf & Country Club, Dougie MacIntyre’s gentle side complemented his competitive edge, which showed through at pivotal times over the weekend. Having fired in a 1-over 36 and feeling his hold on the title eroding, the younger MacIntyre was on the verge of going into a mental slump as he sauntered down the 10th fairway on Saturday (he was four back at the turn on Saturday and shared the lead going into the third round). In recent weeks, MacIntyre has stressed an improved mental game, absorbing negative ideas and turning them into a good tone. His dad saw the spiral and tried to stop it in its tracks.
When I was strolling down to the fairway from the 10th tee, he was making small talk with me, MacIntyre remarked. “Look, he was an athletic person who had seen it all. He understands how to win and how to lose. He noticed that I was nodding off a little, so he said, “What have you been working on for the last eight or ten weeks?” I sort of went into that mindset and looked for the good in everything.
MacIntyre listened on the following hole straight away. He might have been “mumping and moaning about it” when his tee shot found a rut in the 11th fairway, but he told himself the lie worked well for a 6-iron. He took a 183-yard approach to the green’s center and made a 20-foot two-putt. After that, he shot seven more holes in 4-under, signing for a 4-under 66 and unexpectedly taking the lead going into Sunday. There, he held off Griffin’s late charge, which included birdies on holes 15, 16, and 17, to win by one stroke, a victory that he and his father will never forget.
Their embrace on April 18, Green Sunday, was undoubtedly felt back home in Oban among the raucous cheers of their devoted Canadian supporters. It was there that MacIntyre picked up both the game and the meaning of manhood. This past weekend, both things came together under the careful eye of the guy who has supported them the entire time.
Dougie MacIntyre, rejoicing in the aftermath and soaking up the moment with tears in his eyes, remarked, “Unbelievable.” Though his voice was barely audible, the expression was clear.
