- Scotsman Robert MacIntyre won his first PGA Tour title at the RBC Canadian Open
- He hugged his father Dougie, who had been called in to caddy on short notice.
- MacIntyre says he will pay off his parents’ mortgage with the £1.3m prize money
Scotsman Robert MacIntyre has vowed to make his parents “mortgage-free” after his father Dougie helped him win his first PGA Tour title at the RBC Canadian Open.
MacIntyre shot a final round of 68 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club to finish 16 under par, one shot ahead of local favorite Ben Griffin.
Griffin had increased the pressure with birdies on the 15th, 16th and 17th to close in on one of his playing partners, but couldn’t find a fourth straight on the last to potentially force a playoff.
That meant MacIntyre had the luxury of two-putting from 10 feet to win before hugging his father, the head greenkeeper at the local Glencruitten Golf Club, who had been called in to caddy at short notice.
Asked if his father would receive the standard 10 per cent of his £1.3m winner’s cheque, MacIntyre joked: “Yes, he’ll get a nice pay cheque.” I think I have to part with some money now for tax reasons.
Robert MacIntyre says his parents will be ‘mortgage-free’ after he wins Canadian Open
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre (R) and his father, Dougie (L), after winning the Canadian Open
But he will do very well. He deserves it. And my mom and dad will be mortgage-free now, and life is looking a little better on that side of things, but he just wants me to do well because I’m his son, and there’s no angles to it, there’s nothing. . ‘
MacIntyre’s parents have fostered children for several years and the 27-year-old was asked how that has influenced his approach to life.
“I think it makes you realize that hitting a white ball on a golf course is not the most important thing,” the Ryder Cup winner said.
‘I mean, I’ve been crying about it, kids staying away from you. They become family. They have been in a difficult situation.
‘I wasn’t given everything when I was a child. They gave me a great opportunity. Obviously, my dad was a very good sportsman, football, golf, brilliant, (but) he didn’t have the finances to pursue it, and I think it was something my mom and dad always wanted to do.
MacIntyre’s parents have fostered children for years and he says that has influenced him.
‘I have two older sisters who really like horses, riding horses and stuff, but they even sacrificed a lot of that just to give me a chance.
‘I mean, I couldn’t play in golf tournaments when I was a junior because we couldn’t afford it.
‘I think that makes me fight and never give up, I think not receiving anything. I mean, they gave me enough. They gave me the opportunity, but they never spoon-fed me, I was always fighting for every bit of it.’