Exclusive:Bob MacIntyre set to face 'changes and challenges' after major development - but he can rise to them

MacIntyre announced in a social media post a week past Friday that he had become a parent along with his partner, Shannon Hartley, describing their son, Findlay, as “our new world # 1”.

The Oban man is now set to resume his 2026 campaign, having left mum and baby behind to play in this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the PGA Tour’s first $20 million Signature Event of the new season, in California.

Having been world No 5 a fortnight ago, MacIntyre is now down to eighth in the global standings as last year’s US Open runner-up starts his build up to The Masters in April.

It will be interesting to see if there is any reaction to becoming a first-time parent, especially as he will be spending a lot of time in the first half of the year in the US. But, according to McGinley, it’s unlikely to be a problem for the 29-year-old.

‘He’s not afraid of mixing it at the top’

“I think really highly of Bob,” the Irishman told The Scotsman. “On top of the game that he obviously has, I think his heart is as big as anybody’s. For me, the biggest asset Bob has is his mentality. He’s fearless, he’s ballsy and he’s not afraid of mixing it at the top. We saw that at the US Open last year (when MacIntyre was pipped by a brilliant birdie-birdie finish from J.J. Spaun at Oakmont).

“There’s some changes going on in his life. I see he’s just had a baby. You know, [Jack] Nicklaus used to say that ‘life gets in the way’ and it’s how you deal with it. So that’s going to be a challenge for him dealing with that. But they are challenges everybody faces.”

MacIntyre was unbeaten in three games as he made a winning Ryder Cup debut in Italy in 2023 before helping Europe retain the trophy in New York last September. He’ll be determined to be part of the team for the centenary edition at Adare Manor next year as well.

‘Now one of backbones of Ryder Cup team’

“He was very close to not making the team in Rome,” added McGinley. “He just edged out Adrian Meronk at the end and he probably wouldn’t have been a pick if he hadn’t qualified. So to go from there to being one of the backbones of the team is fantastic.

“The biggest thing that can be said about what Luke Donald and the people in the backroom team think about Bob is where he was positioned in the order on Sunday at Bethpage. And that’s one of the things that really buoyed me. I know things were going wrong on Sunday, having played so well the first two days.

“But to have three street fighters down at the bottom of the singles order in Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton and Bob, that’s what you need in that situation. It was the same with Graeme McDowell. He was put down at No 12 by Monty [Colin Montgomerie] at Celtic Manor and he was there for a reason.

“Ther are some players that you put in a position for a street fight and you know that, if it comes down to it, they will come through. And Bob is a player in that category.”