Open pro’s club bounces 10 feet into air — after he tomahawks it into turf

Robert MacIntyre says he says a few bad words. Maybe he’ll smack his golf bag. 

But one emotional release is treated in the same manner as a three-putt. 

“If I walk around and I’m all happy I just made a double bogey or people are clapping, thanks very much, that’s not me,” MacIntyre said Wednesday. 

“I’m needing to smash something up. I want to rip a glove. I do something to get that anger out. It’s better out than in for me. Some people it’s better holding it, but for me, it’s get it out and then just do not let it affect the next shot. 

“Simple.”

It is with that that we bring you a scene during Saturday’s third round of the Open Championship, on Royal Portrush’s 14th hole, where MacIntyre’s tee shot finished along the left side of the fairway. But the location frustrated him, he said, due to the wind. And his second shot showed the problem, as it sailed into the left front bunker. 

The first few paragraphs of this article have teased what followed.

MacIntyre waited about a second. He then moved his club back, behind his back, and whipped it forward in a tomahawk motion. He shouted, “No.” The club hit the turf about a yard in front of him — then bounced about 10 feet in the air. MacIntyre followed it. The iron eventually dropped a couple of yards in front of him and to his right. 

Said analyst Laura Davies on Sky Sports’ broadcast: “Safe to say Bob did not like that shot. And there it is, just in the bunker.” 

Said analyst Rich Beem: “He’s having a rough back nine. Look at how that club went. I’m not too sure that thing’s going to stay straight.” 

Said Davies: “It might be illegal at this point.”

There was more. MacIntyre’s third shot rocketed past the flag and off the green, which led to a baseball swing into his bag — only then he putted his ball to four feet, made that and parred out the rest of the way en route to a one-under 70. He turned things around. 

All because, to use his phrasing, he didn’t walk around all happy. 

“I think it’s fair game to lose the plot every now and again,” MacIntyre said. “I feel like we’ve made the wrong decision off the tee on 14, which then made the second shot on 14 really difficult as a left-handed golfer. Just try to hold that wind. Obviously, in that bunker, bunker’s dead, first job get out of the bunker, then hit it over the top. I’ve lost the plot on both of them, after both of them shots, a bit of anger came out.

“Then when I’m hitting that putt, I’ve got a clear head, got a job to do, get this thing up-and-down. I find it easy just now.”