Exclusive:'I'm not going to change' - Bob MacIntyre's message to critics over bad language

In last week’s Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, the Oban man reacted to a poor shot by saying “that was f****** s****”, which was picked up by a microphone and led to the commentator, Andrew Coltart, apologising to viewers.

It’s not the first time that MacIntyre has been heard using bad language on the course, having come under fire, for example, when he played alongside Tyrrell Hatton in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Kingsbarns a couple of years ago.

Speaking as he prepared to tee up in the 90th Masters as one of the genuine contenders at Augusta National, the 29-year-old opened up about what some people think about him.

“I know I am volatile and I know the bad language and stuff, but that’s just me,” he told The Scotsman ahead of his fourth appearance at the Georgia venue.

Referring to the fact he became a new dad earlier in the year, MacIntyre added: “Even having a little one myself and knowing there are little ones around, I’m not going to change.

‘When I am playing golf I am red-lining’

“I am trying to do my best out on the golf course. I’m a sportsman and it is live sport. I’m going to react the way I want to react. I’m not going to change how I react because there is someone standing there or elsewhere.

“I am trying to do the best that I can and I will take my time after to go and sign autographs with kids and what not, but, when I am playing golf I am red-lining.”

MacIntyre also said he believes he has the best man for the job with Mike Burrow as his caddie, insisting those who claim the Englishman lacks experience at the top level are well off the mark.

“To be honest, I don’t see it,” he said of things like that being posted on social media. “I post then I run away. I don’t give a s***, to be honest with you, what people say. I think Mike is the best caddie in the world. We have barneys like everyone does.

“I wear my heart on my sleeve and, when I am running hot, I am running hot. Mike sometimes has to take it. At the end the day, I trust Mike and Mike trusts me. If Mike says it’s an 8-iron, it’s an 8-iron, simple as that and I accept what happens from there.

“Look, last week a lot of people will probably criticise me for not finishing that off. But, at the end of the day, if someone had given me a one-shot lead going into Sunday I would have bitten their hand off.

“It was just a case that a guy (US Open champion J.J. Spaun) shot a better number over 72 holes and I finished one back. I had a chance, but it wasn’t to be. I’d rather this one than last week.”

As he bids to emulate Sandy Lyle, the 1988 winner, by claiming a Green Jacket, MacIntyre will have an entire nation cheering him on over on the other side of the Atlantic over the next four days.

‘I wish more Scots were here - but it’s difficult’

“It does excite me, but I just wish there were more of us and not just me here,” he admitted. “However, it’s difficult to be in the top 50 in the world.

“We’ve always spoken about how easier it is when you are further down the rankings to overtake people but the further up the world rankings you get the slower and narrower the road gets.

“It becomes harder to overtake people and I am seeing that at the moment. I’ve thrown in big results (fourth in The Players and second in the Valero Texas Open in his last two starts) , but I’m just tip-toeing by people.”