GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 8, 2026

Robert MacIntyre

The Renaissance Club

Press Conference

CLARE BODEL: Welcome Bob MacIntyre. I won't take too much time with you. If you could just tell us how special it is coming back here. We know it's a tournament that you love.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, it's always special. Memories I've had from growing up to winning in '24, I mean, I don't know if anything is ever going to top that in my golfing career. Well, there probably is one that would top that.

But from what I've done so far -- yeah, I've not picked which one was better, the Canada or here but they were both so special. But this one, The Scottish Open, I'm always going to come back here as much as I can. Obviously living here, it's home. I love it.

Q. Is the one that would top that maybe winning out there and having your young son carry it on to the green, to see with the trophy?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, I didn't think about that one.

Q. Two then?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Winning an Open Championship would be -- look, I wouldn't be picky. I'd take any of the majors. One of the special things that I done here was the celebration that I had with my friends and family and some of the staff that were working purely The Scottish Open, I think you may have been there, as well, Clare. It was obviously one of the best nights, days, weeks, that I've had. It probably is the best week that I've had at a golf event. It was so special.

So no, there probably is two things. Having the family there, winning any event but I would say to that it would be winning an Open Championship, would be able to then have the celebration with the people closest to me like a day later or that night, you know what I mean.

Yeah, I'm someone that has to celebrate the wins because they don't happen as often as some others.

Q. Obviously the last year, a lot of spotlight on you, defending champion and what happened at Oakmont, do you feel like a little bit more under the radar now?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I do. I feel like this year, especially, I'm able to do my own stuff. I'm not getting pulled. I'm able to arrive here, do my work Monday, Tuesday, Pro-Am, and do this stuff today. I just feel like -- I think I'm learning how to manage things. I think everyone in the team is managing it well, and they know that I'm probably going to be late; if I say 7.00, I'm going to be there quarter past seven. Yeah, things drag on.

I feel good. My game wasn't in a great spot but I feel like it's really come on, especially Travelers was probably one of my best, outside of Valero, that was my best week approach-play-wise, which we have been really working hard on we try to, it's an amazing game. We try to tweak things to try and get better, and sometimes it doesn't work and you have to hit reverse and go back to what was working, and that's what we've done. Feels like we're in a good spot.

Q. When we spoke at the U.S. Open, you felt your game was close to clicking. How much of a boost was the Travelers coming into this big two weeks?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, the U.S. Open, I felt, there, was one could I have got -- I the weekend my clubs a few months ago. I changed clubs and ball a few months ago, and you'd think that that's going to make you just, like -- we're just looking for a show of points, it's so small now. It got to a point where I thought, you know, this wasn't what I thought was going to happen. U.S. Open, we changed -- I think we changed from 5-iron to 9-iron. Put a brand new set in. Exact same ones but just went back to the old way that we set them up.

Yeah, the Travelers was great. Still kept the new ball that I'm using, that I've been using for a while, and yeah, things are good. There's still things that I don't trust with it because there's more spin but in the overall game, there's more positives than negatives.

Q. You're no stranger to playing in the same group as Rory here. Can you talk a little bit about the difference between the first time you did here to now, and then the fans' expectations of you?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: First time I played here, get the ball on the tee, I think that was my first Scottish Open, as well. It was my first one. I don't mind getting thrown in the deep end, but that one, it was something that I thought I had to do, and it was a massive learning curve.

Now it just feels like another round of golf. Only problem is I'm going to be hitting in first all day with the two of them because they both hit it miles.

No, look, it will be good fun. I enjoy both their company. So yeah, good group.

Q. You've always been very generous with your time with kids here. Yesterday, Stephen announced that his foundation were collaborating with First Tee, and that you would be a mentor through that foundation. How has that benefited you, and how good is it to see an organisation like Stephen's give youngsters an opportunity?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, I think Stevie and what the Stephen Gallacher Foundation, the guys that are involved -- the guys that I know that are involved in it, I know them pretty well. But I mean, what they are doing for the game of golf in Scotland is unbelievable.

I think this joining first Tee, I see what they do in America every week that we're playing the PGA TOUR. And it is unbelievable. I think for Scotland to obviously be doing that, and Stevie and the guys doing that, I know it's going to grow the Stephen Gallacher Foundation massively. But I think it's just going to grow kids, golf, and Scotland even better, and that's the main thing. I mean, it's about participation and getting the young kids into the game of golf. I.

Think all amateur sports, all kid sports are kind of taking a bit of a hit with the world that we live in now, and gaming and whatnot, phones. I think having that and having it close, and put into grass roots, proper grass roots, where people wouldn't pick up a golf club, and getting them to pick up a golf club and enjoy, it I think it's massive.

And what Stevie does, the amount of time that he putts in is unbelievable, and Stoddy and all the other guys.

But yeah, there's no negative to the first tee coming on board in Scotland.

Q. How do you see the future of this event, given what's coming down the line with the two Tracks on the PGA TOUR?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I don't know to be honest. I keep asking -- I actually asked the same question about the Canadian Open.

I know they are going to do -- look, I didn't read it all. I was at the meeting. I listened to the meeting. But there was more stuff in it that I've not really -- I just leave that to the powers to be.

I know there's International Swing, and I think they were planning on having that August to -- or the end of August to whenever it was. I think they have got to make exceptions at times. I think The Scottish Open has got to be before The Open. I think it will be. I think there will be exceptions. I don't know. I have not spoken to anybody about it.

So I personally think The Scottish Open is going to be totally fine, if I'm being honest with you. I don't -- I don't -- see it being a 20 million event. I see it being a Rolex Series/European Tour, like high-end European Tour event. I don't see it -- I think it would be a bit mad to put a 20 million event in Scotland when the world we live in today, I mean, it's not as -- it's not the same as America, do you know what I mean? It's more realistic on that terms of the money side of it.

CLARE BODEL: Thank you, Bob. Best of luck this week.