Bob MacIntyre reveals future plans after Singapore before 'revving up the car again' for major event

The 28-year-old is heading into the season’s opening major at Augusta National early next month in good fettle after maintaining a strong run of recent results in the Porsche Singapore Classic.

Won by his 2023 Hero Cup team-mate Richard Mansell, MacIntyre’s tie for ninth at Laguna National Golf Resort Club came on the back of two eye-catching efforts on the PGA Tour.

He ended up 11th in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard at Bay Hill then claimed ninth spot in The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

In his latest outing, MacIntyre had been in danger of making an early exit in an event reduced to 54 holes in Singapore due to Thursday’s play being totally washed out after dropping five shots over the closing stretch in an opening one-over 73.

He then bounced back with a brilliant 64 on Saturday before signing off with a 68, having gone 35 holes without a bogey before dropping his sole shot over the weekend at the par-3 17th, for an 11-under-par total.

“I thought my game was really good again,” said MacIntyre after finishing five shots behind Mansell as the Englishman, helped by a burst of five straight birdies from the fourth, landed a breakthrough win in his 103rd start on the circuit.

“A couple of lapses of concentration probably cost me in terms of competing this week but, overall, a decent performance with the prep I had and, yeah, lucky we got three days in, to be honest.”

After making a long journey from Florida to the Far East for his headline appearance in this event, MacIntyre will now head home to recharge his batteries before putting the final touches to his Masters preparation.

“I’m needing a break,” he admitted with a smile. “I’ve got about ten days off back home and then rev up the car again and go to Orlando for a four-day training camp before going to Augusta.”

He did something similar before this promising run of form and swing coach Simon Shanks, putting coach Mike Kanski and caddie Mike Burrow will be working with him again at Isleworth.

“The whole squad will be out there to prepare for The Masters and then we will be back on the road in the States for probably three months,” said MacIntyre. “I will drive up to Augusta on the Saturday night and get there on the Sunday. Yeah, looking forward to it.”

Mansell’s maiden win - he closed with a 66 to pip Japan’s Keita Nakajima by a shot - came in his first event with experienced Scottish caddie David Kenny on the bag.

"That was a good start and a couple of times he just got me to slow down,” said Mansell of Kenny, who worked for Paul Lawrie for a spell and, more recently, was on Grant Forrest’s bag. “What a feeling and I played so well today. It makes those near-misses and when I've gotten ahead of myself in the past just kind of worth it and it just means that much more.”

Meanwhile, Mexican Carlos Ortiz and American duo Patrick Reed and Jason Kokrak all secured spots in the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush through the Asian Tour’s International Series Macau presented by Wynn.