Local boy MacIntyre pips Adam Scott with closing birdie to win Genesis Scottish Open

Scotsman Robert MacIntyre produced a magnificent home victory in the $9 million showpiece Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday going into the week’s The Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Home hero MacIntyre brought the roof down at The Renaissance when he rolled in a 22-foot birdie at the last hole to pip Australian Adam Scott (67) by a single stroke for his second PGA Tour victory after the Canadian Open last month. 

He signed for a final round 67 to make up for the disappointment of finishing runner-up 12 months ago to the birdie-birdie run by Rory McIlroy, who was tied for fourth place this time.

“I think I lost my voice after the scream on that hole. I thought I was short,” said MacIntyre, who became only the second Scotsman to win the national Open after Colin Montgomerie (1999) .
“I had a tear in my eye before I hit the putt,” he said. “I was getting emotional before I read the putt. I still I had a job to do. This was the one I wanted, and it was the one I got. I can't believe it's happened.

“How do I come down from this? I don't think I will,” he added. “I think I'm just going to try to ride the wave. The Open means a lot to me but you've got to celebrate the good times because it doesn't happen a lot.”
Romain Langasque of France took third place two shots behind Scott with a closing 64 while six players including Korea’s Sungjae Im, McIlroy and Indian-American star Sahith Theegala shared fourth on 14 under 265. Two-time tour winner Im birdied his last hole at North Berwick for a closing 1-under 69 to end his week on a solid note.

Im has missed all three cuts in the majors this season but a sixth top-10 of the season will serve as the confidence boost that he needs as he makes the short trip from The Renaissance to Royal Troon, the PGA Tour said.

“The wind was stronger than expected today, that’s why I struggled a bit out there,” said Im. “I made some mistakes which I would not have usually done so. There were some birdie chances but I couldn’t take it. Towards the end, it got a bit windy and I tried to adjust and it kind of worked out.”

He ground out three birdies against as many bogeys through 15 holes before rolling in an 11-footer at the last for a final birdie of the day. The smooth-swinging Im will no doubt be confident of his hopes at Royal Troon as this was his fifth top-10 in his last eight starts.

“Towards the end of my third round, things didn’t go the way I planned and I missed a few shots. The swing wasn’t very good, but I made some adjustments on the range and it was a bit better and I felt more comfortable out there,” he said.

With The Open being the final major of the year, Im is keen to make up for his poor run in the majors where he missed the cut in the Masters, PGA Championship and US Open. “It’s good preparation. Top-five is a good accomplishment. We’re also on another links golf course next week which I’m looking forward to, especially when it is the last major of the year. I want to carry this momentum to Royal Troon.

“I didn’t play very well in the last three majors but I feel like I’m getting back into the groove of things with my game and I want to show a different side of myself for the last major,” Im added.
Paris Olympics-bound Shubhankar Sharma (69-68-70-65) took a share of 39th place alongside six others on 8 under 272. The 27-year-old had looked set for a much stronger finish but was undone by a triple bogey 7 on the 18th and final hole which he had birdied the previous day.

Aaron Rai (T4, 14 under), Richard Mansell and Alex Noren (both T10, 13 under) qualified for The Open Championship at Royal Troon as the top three finishers not otherwise exempt for the year’s final major.
Top 20 for Aditi Ashok

At the Amundi Evian Championship, the year’s fourth major for women, Aditi Ashok produced a fine finish with three birdies in the last four holes for her best result in the majors, a 2 under par 69 giving her a share of 17th place.

Aditi’s previous best at a major was tied 22nd at the 2018 Women’s Open.  Aditi shot 71-70-67-69 in her four rounds as Japan’s Ayaka Furue emerged winner by a single shot at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France.