Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald believes Robert MacIntyre’s stellar debut last year gave him the belief he can “handle anything”.
MacIntyre won two and a half points from three matches in Rome, including a singles victory over US Open champion Wyndham Clark, as the home side regained the trophy in emphatic style.
The left-hander has since won his first PGA Tour title in the RBC Canadian Open and produced a stunning finish to win the Genesis Scottish Open title on Sunday, just days before the 152nd Open gets under way at Royal Troon.
“It’s been extremely special to win two national opens and last week, with all the pressure with him being honest about that being the one he wanted to win, that shows a lot of grit and determination,” Donald said.
“We all know Bob had that in spades, he showed it at the Ryder Cup. It was a tough week for him, he didn’t feel like he was at his best, and he kept grinding and finding little things here and there.
“If you embrace the Ryder Cup and have a good week like he did, you walk away from that week thinking if you can handle that pressure, you can handle anything.
“I would hope the Ryder Cup helped in his journey and he can continue this form and keep going from strength to strength as he’s showing he is one of the best in the world right now.”
MacIntyre is due to get his Open campaign under way shortly after 9.30am alongside Ryder Cup team-mates Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood, with US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau in the group behind.
World number two Rory McIlroy, who agonisingly finished a shot behind DeChambeau at Pinehurst, is due out alongside Tyrrell Hatton and Max Homa shortly after 10am, with Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler among the later starters.
Anything new for 2024?
For its 10th staging of the Open Championship, Royal Troon will measure 7,385 yards, 195 more than when Henrik Stenson lifted the Claret Jug in 2016 following an epic duel with Phil Mickelson.
The addition of 22 yards to the par-five sixth means that, at 623 yards, it has regained its status as the longest on the Open rota, with the shortest – the 123-yard Postage Stamp with its Coffin Bunker – coming two holes later.
Form players?
Home favourite MacIntyre arrives on the back of a memorable victory in the Genesis Scottish Open, where McIlroy bounced back from his US Open heartache with a tie for fourth.
World number one Scheffler has not competed since his sixth win of the season in the Travelers Championship on June 23, while DeChambeau followed his US Open win with top 10s in two LIV events.
Selected tee times
0635 – Justin Leonard, Todd Hamilton, Jack McDonald
0936 – Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre
0947 – Ludvig Aberg, Bryson DeChambeau, Tom Kim
1009 – Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Tyrrell Hatton
1437 – Tiger Woods, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay
1510 – Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young
Weather forecast
Cloudy with outbreaks of mainly light rain or drizzle on and off during the day. It will become breezy with a chance of a longer period of rain and drizzle developing in the late afternoon. Winds from the south or SSE at 12-15 mph, gusting 20-25 mph, strongest in the early afternoon.
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