Bob MacIntyre has got life going on during major mojo loss - I am not worried about him

MacIntyre also bowed out early in the season’s second major, the PGA Championship won by Aaron Rai at Aronimink last month, and, having done likewise more recently in the Memorial Tournament, one of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events, the Oban man is facing one of those tough spells encountered by every single player.

It’s come as MacIntyre heads into the US Open, the event he came close to winning last year at Oakmont, where JJ Spaun finished birdie-birdie to land his major breakthrough and leave MacIntyre, watching on TV as the clubhouse leader, mouthing “wow” and applauding the American in a brilliant act of sportsmanship.

It may be, of course, that MacIntyre might never come so close again in one of the game’s marquee events, but there was something about his performance in the USGA event 12 months ago that suggests otherwise. At the halfway stage in the major season, he’s had nothing to shout about yet in 2026, but he’s still got a trip to Shinnecock Hills next week then a visit to Royal Birkdale next month for The 154th Open to turn things around.

According to McGinley, who has followed the Scot’s career closely since he was crowned as the DP World Tour Rookie of the Year in 2019 before pushing on and helping Europe win the last two editions of the Ryder Cup, MacIntyre’s recent rough patch, so to speak, is not necessarily down to golf but a life-changing experience off the course.

Earlier this year, MacIntyre and his partner, Shannon, became first-time parents following the birth of son Findlay and, just as MacIntyre himself alluded to in a fascinating interview at a Genesis Scottish Open media day back in April when he talked about how he is trying to “navigate life”, McGinley pointed out that as being his main challenge at the moment.

“Last year was terrific,” observed the 2014 Ryder Cup-winning captain, speaking on a media conference call for the US Open, which starts on Thursday, along with Golf Channel colleagues Rich Lerner and Brandel Chamblee, as well as former US Open champion Jim Furyk, who is joining the trio as the lead analyst for USA Sports at the east tip of Long Island, of MacIntyre.

“I think he's a dogged competitor. I think he's got a huge heart. There was a reason why he was played down the order on the last day of the singles in the Ryder Cup (in Europe’s successful defence of that trophy at Bethpage Black last September). We have a lot of belief in him. He loves the fight. I'm a huge admirer of his game. He's swashbuckling in terms of how he plays, he's a wonderful putter, he's won on links golf courses. Obviously, growing up in Scotland, he's very familiar with the kind of conditions we're going to face here (at Shinnecock Hills).

‘It’s an adjustment in your life’

“Where is he at the moment? I don't think he's got a golf issue going on at the moment, I think he's got life going on...as [Jack’] Nicklaus used to say, life gets in the way and you’ve got to deal with it. He's just had a baby a few months ago, just before the Masters... it's not derailed him, but it's an adjustment in your life. What happens off the course happens on it, and I think he's going through that at the moment.

“It’s a huge addition having your first child in particular. When you get to your second, speaking from experience, second and third, it's not as huge a change as the first one is. So, I think there's that kind of life situation going on in the background for Bob at the moment and he'll settle down, he'll figure that out, and he'll come back again. But, his form has not been what we would have expected the last two or three months, and I think that's the reason why.”

As was the case at Oakmont, MacIntyre will be the sole Scot in the field for the 126th edition of the US Open. It’s the third major in a row that has been the case, which is a bit disappointing in terms of the wider picture, but, as he always does, the 29-year-old will be giving it all he has to try and do himself proud first and foremost on one of the game’s biggest stages but his country, too. Especially so at a time when Scotland’s footballers are also in action in the US in the World Cup.

“Yeah, there's obviously ebb and flow to a career and it's just the nature of the game,” said Chamblee, one of golf’s top analysts, in reply to being asked if MacIntyre was in a spell where he just needs to try and grind it out and come back out the other side.

“You can't always be on heading into the four major championships. That's the part that luck plays in winning a major championship. You've got to peak four times and it's hard to find out exactly how to do that. You got to be in the right frame of mind, you got to be physically right where you need to be, you have got to be technically right near where you need to be, and then you need a bit of luck. I mean, it's a rare instance that somebody wins a US Open along the way that doesn't have a bit of luck.”

‘He’ll come back into form’

Referring to what McGinley had said about MacIntyre on the same call, Chamblee added: “Paul's done a great job of just sort of detailing the distractions off of the golf course, but if those affect you in a qualitative way and you start to look at his stroke scan approach numbers, and they're off.

“While scrambling is a huge part of who wins at Shinnecock, precision into the greens is the most important factor, so that you don't miss the greens and he's a little bit off in that regard. As Paul pointed out, he'll come back into form, and it may well be the US Open. You just never know about these things, but the difference between him and everybody else at the top of the world rankings is pretty significant right now.”