The sight of yellowing baked out fairways at an Open Championship often gives it a nostalgic, 1970s feel. All that’s missing is big sideburns, flares and medallions on hairy chests.
Here at Royal Birkdale, the sun continues to blaze, everything is parched and the fairways could do with a soothing dollop of Aloe Vera. It’s not quite England’s green and pleasant land, is it?
“It’s brutal,” said Robert MacIntyre of the test that has confronted him. Given the nature of the firm and fiery examination, the 29-year-old’s preparations have been meticulous.
Mapping out a successful route over the links, meanwhile, is the kind of diligent exercise that would get you honorary membership of the British Cartographic Society.
The strategy is simple, even if it’s one that’s easier said than done. “There are a lot of short clubs off the tee, you have to stay out of the pot bunkers, get it on the green from there and try to take your chances,” said MacIntyre.
Nothing to it, eh? “It's a very strategic golf course,” added the Scot, who is making his seventh appearance in The Open.
“You've really got to stay disciplined, stick to your gameplan and trust it's right.
"The ball was running out fully fifty yards on some tee shots, even with a six or seven-iron. Some guys will flip a coin and go with driver anyway, but then you run the risk of bunkers and all the other trouble.
“For me, hitting greens in regulation is the key, so it's about playing smart golf and hitting fairways."
MacIntyre has produced a decent body of work in this great championship. His debut at Portrush back in 2019 was certainly eventful.
At one point, his name appeared on the top of the leaderboard and the Scottish golf writers were just about reaching for the celebratory whisky. He was only through six holes of his first round, mind you.
Later that week, he earned widespread praise for calling out an experienced PGA Tour pro for not shouting ‘fore’ while his closing 68 on the Sunday, before the boisterous conditions really kicked in, eventually led to him finishing in a share of sixth as others slithered backwards.
It was the best finish by a Scot in The Open since Colin Montgomerie was second behind Tiger Woods at St Andrews back in 2005.
In 2019, MacIntyre was a tour rookie and, while he learned quickly, he was still finding his feet at the top table.
Here in 2026, he’s 15th in the world and a genuine contender for the Claret Jug. It’s a different ball game these days.
“In 2019 I felt like I was just being part of the tournament, I was making up the numbers,” reflected MacIntyre, who has never missed an Open cut and has added a share of eighth and a tie for seventh to his championship resume.
“I was just seeing how well I could do in this event whereas now, I come here and I know that if I play well I've got a chance. That's all I'm trying to do.
"If I play the golf I know I can play, I'm going to have a chance come Sunday. That's the difference. In 2019, I didn't know how good I was, I didn't know how good I could be.
“I was just pitching up and playing golf with no expectation. Then I finished well.
"But now there's more expectation for myself. But it's not pressure, it's just knowing that if I play well, I'm going to have a chance."
MacIntyre warmed up for the final men’s major of the year with a share of third in the Genesis Scottish Open last Sunday. Had a few more putts dropped, it could’ve been a different story.
‘Twas ever thus in this pesky pursuit of what ifs and if onlys. “There are certain things that, over the last couple of weeks, I've let slip with my putting,” said MacIntyre as he targets an improved performance on the greens.
"I've probably not done as much performance stuff on the putting and last week, if I'd putted the way I know I can putt, it was going to be a different story.
“I'd been putting so much work into the long game because it was a weakness for a while. Sometimes, you do more work on one area and then you neglect another area and then it just flips from a strength to a weakness. It's all about trying to manage it.”
MacIntyre is one of just two Scots in the field. Changed days. In 1998 at Birkdale, the tartan army was in its teens.
“It's a shame there's not more of us,” said MacIntyre, who is joined in the field by Barassie’s Jack McDonald.
Oh well. In this game, less can me more.
