Bob’s lucky drop, Tiger’s arrival, Hovland talks afterlife | Monday Finish

Welcome back to the Monday Finish, where we’re typing fast so we can go try to crash Bob MacIntyre’s celebration party. Bottoms up, Bob.

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GOLF STUFF I LIKE

Taking advantage of a good break.

The hour was growing late on Sunday at the Genesis Scottish Open when Bob MacIntyre let out a string of curse words as he saw where his tee shot had settled at No. 16. This was the day’s final obvious birdie hole and Bob needed two birdies, at least, to have a chance to win and now he’d hit his drive into some of the Renaissance Club’s thicker patches of fescue.

“I know that that’s my chance to really make birdie coming in,” MacIntyre said post-round. “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.'”

But as MacIntyre stepped away from his ball there came a sound he described as a “clunk.” Without spikes he may never have noticed it but the front three studs on his Nikes are metal, which meant he heard and felt his good fortune: There was a sprinkler head beneath his foot.

He looked at his caddie, Mike Burrow, who laughed back in his direction. Both knew how useful it was to have a free drop here.

“You use the rules to get advantage. You stand on a sprinkler, you’re due relief,” MacIntyre said later. “That was just the one kiss I needed.”

Golf’s rules are finicky that way. Sometimes they deliver cruel ultimatums. But sometimes they deliver relief — and open the door for greatness. MacIntyre stepped through that door. After a free drop, he fired his approach shot from 248 yards to six feet, igniting the home crowd. He’d hole that for eagle, suddenly tying leader Adam Scott. And some 20 minutes later he’d hole a 22-foot birdie putt at No. 18 and screamed so loud he lost his voice. The proud Scot had won the Scottish Open, the one he’d always wanted.

The crowd serenaded him with the national anthem as he soaked in the scene. A year ago, when Rory McIlroy edged him at this same event with improbable birdies at 17 and 18, he wondered if that was as close as he’d get. A year later he’d returned, stared down a field of the best players from the U.S. and Europe and emerged victorious. He leaves the week a legitimate world-beater — since last year’s tournament he’s won a Ryder Cup, won his first and now second PGA Tour events, claimed his home national open and jumped inside the top 20 in the world ranking; he’d never been better than No. 39.

He plans to enjoy the moment. Asked about his scheduled Monday press conference in Troon, host of this coming week’s Open Championship, MacIntyre shook his head.

“I think there might be a change of schedule. I don’t think I’ll be in a fit state to get to Troon,” he said to laughter. “I don’t think I’ll be legally able to drive.”

He didn’t win because of the drop; he won because of everything else and the drop. He didn’t shy away from that.

“Look, I got a bit of luck on 16 that you need a bit of luck to win golf tournaments. I couldn’t believe when I heard a spring under my foot where my spike is at and I’m like, No way. It was covered, and I thought, I got lucky; it was meant to be.”

When golf gives you free drops, make eagle. Acknowledging your good fortune, taking full advantage and celebrating with a pint or 12 — that’s golf stuff I like.

WINNERS

Who won the week?

Ayaka Furue won her first major championship at the Amundi Evian Championship thanks to a ridiculous finish; she celebrated Bastille Day in France with a birdie-birdie-birdie-par-eagle final five holes to get to 19 under and a one-shot win. She cited Star Wars for the victory — she repeated May the force be with you to herself down that closing stretch.

Bob MacIntyre won the Genesis Scottish Open, an event that has quickly become the perfect lead-in to links golf season. (We still want more — Rory McIlroy pointed out this is the first time he’s played links golf since last summer’s Open, which seems deeply wrong — but this is a good start!) He’s up to No. 16 in the world as the golf world descends on Troon.

The ISCO Championship finished in a wild five-man playoff and Harry Hall finished things off with a dramatic chip-in on the third playoff hole — the perfect time for a win, given his wife is due with their first child next week.

Sergio Garcia won LIV Golf’s event at Valderrama in his home country of Spain in a playoff over Anirban Lahiri after Lahiri missed an 18-inch putt for the win in regulation. Garcia made par to Lahiri’s double on the second playoff hole to take the title and his Fireballs won in a playoff, too.

And Ernie Els won his first senior major at the Kaulig Companies Championship — the event formerly known as the Senior Players — by edging Y.E. Yang by a shot at Firestone Country Club to win.

NOT-WINNERS

Almost, though.

Adam Scott did everything but win and leaves North Berwick with good vibes; his solo second was his first time in contention this season and his best PGA Tour result since he won the Genesis Invitational in 2020.

“Y’know, it was fun to have one that mattered, actually,” he said, referring to a birdie putt that slid by at No. 18. “So I’m excited to take some comfort from this and heading into a major next week on form. Because it’s been a while since I can say I’ve done that.”

Romain Langasque finished third after a final-round 64; he said the week felt “a bit like a major for us on the DP World Tour.”

A list of world-beaters finished T4: Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, Collin Morikawa, Sungjae Im, Sahith Theegala and Aaron Rai.

Rai was likely happiest to end up there, as he punched his ticket to this week’s Open Championship after a final-round 63 and cracked the top 50 in the world for the first time. “I was aware of [the possibility of qualifying] at different times during the week but I think I felt so far out of it today, or going into today; that it didn’t really cross my mind, which is probably the best thing in disguise.”

Aberg was likely least happy; he held the lead for much of the week and owned a two-shot advantage beginning the final round. But he made just one birdie all Sunday and three bogeys on his final nine to post a disappointing final-round 73. (Still a stud, though.)

McIlroy was somewhere in between. His putting likely kept him from a title defense but he appears to be all systems go heading to the final major of the year.

“The reason that I like to play the week before the majors is to knock a little bit of rust off and try to get sharp, and I feel like I’ve done that this week,” he said. On to the next.

SHORT HITTERS

News you should know, in brief.

Keegan Bradley earned the surprise nod as U.S. Ryder Cup captain for Bethpage Black; the pick was greeted with shock — including by Bradley himself — but the reaction has been largely positive. Alan Bastable captured the scene at Bradley’s debut press conference here.

It’s not often you hear a golfer talk about joining LIV Golf and what happens when we die in the same interview — but most golfers aren’t Viktor Hovland. From this interview with Tom Kershaw in the Sunday Times:

“What do you think happens after we die? We don’t know. The establishment will say, ‘Your neurons will stop firing. Your body will rot.’ OK, that’s one explanation but, if you look at our ancestors, there’s a huge culture that goes into preparing for the afterlife. Were they just idiots or were they onto something? I’m just curious to find out. We’ve gotten sold that we have all the answers but there’s just so much we don’t know. I find those questions super motivating and I just want to figure it out.”

Tiger Woods arrived at Troon on Sunday morning and played 18 holes. This feels like a big week for his competitive future; he’s made the cut at one of three majors this year and hasn’t made a cut at the Open since 2018, when he held the lead on Sunday and finished T6. (He’s played just twice since then, in 2019 and 2022.) Woods’ last top-30 major finish came in 2019; his last top-30 anywhere (other than the Hero World Challenge) came in 2020. But I’m an eternal Woods optimist and would love to point out that physically he looked better at Pinehurst than he has at any tournament in years. If he catches the right wave and his putter gets hot…

Colin Montgomerie called on Woods to retire, which is a provocative position to take — and sure, golf’s takes could use some spice — but certainly a bold one, given Woods’ popularity.

Bryson DeChambeau and his childhood swing coach Mike Schy got drawn into a nasty public spat when Schy accused DeChambeau of pulling funding from a junior tour near where he grew up; DeChambeau says Schy’s claims come as part of an extortion scheme and disputed his version of events in this Golfweek story.

ONE DUMB GRAPHIC

The crossover event.

ONE SWING THOUGHT

Learning from Ludvig.

Richard Mansell says he’s been struggling with his game recently. He was “moaning” to his manager as recently as Saturday night. But he picked up some inspiration from one of golf’s young stars.

“Believe it or not, I was on the range yesterday and I was watching Ludvig [Aberg] hit balls and I saw how quickly he gets on with it,” Mansell said. “I was like, ‘I do not do that. I kind of need to take a leaf out of that book’ and I tried to quicken up my routine and see the target and go and didn’t miss many shots today.”

Sunday he shot a course-record 61 to jump inside the top 10 and qualify for the Open Championship. Speed up, gang! Extra swing thoughts probably aren’t doing you any good.

ONE BIG QUESTION

Four for four?

Sometimes there are flukey major winners but we arrive at the year’s final slam with three fitting champs: You could argue that Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau are three of the four best golfers in the world. The other man on that list would be, of course, Rory McIlroy. After Pinehurst heartbreak, could this be his week?

ONE THING TO WATCH

Matt Wallace in the Green Room.

Matt Wallace bares his soul to the DP World Tour’s robot interviewer and it’s surprisingly moving.

NEWS FROM SEATTLE

Monday Finish HQ.

This week, when European sports took center stage, is a fascinating time to be on the West Coast — but I’m not complaining. Wimbledon final with breakfast, Scottish Open conclusion shortly thereafter, EuroCup final just after that? Primetime sports are a distant memory.

Can’t wait to dive into Open week. Could be the best of the year. See you here!

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Dylan welcomes your comments at dylan_dethier@golf.com.