After claiming the Scottish Open title he craved, Robert MacIntyre reflected on a fortunate drop he got on the 16th hole that proved to be "the one kiss I needed" to get the job done.
MacIntyre suffered a heart-breaking near miss to Rory McIlroy 12 months ago and he looked like coming up short again when he drove into thick rough on 16.
As he weighed up his options, MacIntyre then noticed he was stood on a sprinkler head which allowed him to get a free drop.
From there he went on to eagle the par five to get into contention before holing a birdie putt on the last to pip Adam Scott by a shot and lift the trophy he's been looking to win since he was young.
"Yeah, so I mean, I'm shouting and I'm swearing when I'm getting up to the ball because I know that that's my chance to really make birdie coming in," MacIntyre recalled of his drop.
"I got over the ball, looked at it, thinking, I'm in a bit of trouble here. Might manage to move it maybe a hundred yards.
"As I took a step back, obviously there was no high rough where it would tangle the club. So I could take the practise swing, like a foot, foot and a half from the ball, and just a step back.
"I just heard the clunk; I've got spikes on the front three of my shoes, not on my shoe as spikes, but just the front three studs as metal spikes, and I was like, no way. I've got a sprinkler underneath my foot. Obviously the plastic spikes at the back, you don't feel it.
"And I said to Mike, 'Am I standing' - 'when I get up to the golf ball, am I standing on that sprinkler?'
"And he's laughing at me going, yeah, yeah. It was just a lucky break. You use the rules to get advantage. You stand on a sprinkler, you're due relief. That was just the one kiss I needed."
MacIntyre said he was going to celebrate his Scottish Open win in style, so much so he doesn't fancy his chances of making his Open Championship press conference scheduled for Monday.
"I think there might be a change of schedule. I don't think I'll be in a fit state to get to Troon. I don't think I'll be legally able to drive," joked MacIntyre.
"How I come down from this, I don't think I will. I think I will just try and ride the wave, and next week, it's the Open Championship. That means, again, a lot to me.
What a shot @robert1lefty!! 🏴After a lucky break, MacIntyre joins the lead after an eagle on the 16th.#GenesisScottishOpen | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/jBRJS6mAdAJuly 14, 2024
"But you've got to celebrate the good times because it doesn't happen a lot and this is one I said I wanted. This, I'm going to celebrate hard and I'll pitch up when I tee the ball on Thursday, whatever time I tee off, I'll try to win the championship. There might be some alcohol still in the system but I will try my best.
"And I'm not really too worried about - I don't want to win Rookie of the Year. I think everything else that comes with this is better than Rookie of the Year.
"But look, I'm going to celebrate this win with my friends and family, everyone that's there. I don't think they are going to be home for a bit tonight."
