MacIntyre wins his national open in Scotland with birdie

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NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — Robert MacIntyre screamed so loud when the winning putt dropped that he lost his voice. He still was drowned out by thousands of delirious Scottish fans who celebrated one of their own winning the Scottish Open on Sunday.

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“It’s the one I wanted, and the one I got,” MacIntyre said after making a 22-foot birdie putt that fell on its last turn on the last hole for a 3-under 67 and a one-shot victory over Adam Scott. “I can’t believe it’s happened.”

It’s hard to believe how it happened — a birdie putt he thought was short, a sprinkler head he couldn’t see and three metal spikes he wears in the front of his shoes.

Two shots behind with three holes to play, MacIntyre was swearing up a storm when he saw his tee shot on the par-5 16th go into grass so deep he figured he would be able to advance it only 100 yards down the fairway.

He took a practice swing. And then he heard a click.

Turns out there was a sprinkler head in the deep grass, and MacIntyre wouldn’t have felt it except for those spikes. He checked with his caddie to make sure it was under his stance. He called for a rules official. He got the break of a lifetime, able to take take a free drop into shorter grass that allowed him to slash a 6-iron from 248 yards that settled 6 feet away.

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He made the eagle putt to tie Scott, who closed with a 67. MacIntyre hit pitching wedge into the 18th. He dropped his putter when he saw the ball disappear, delivering a sweeping uppercut and as loud a yell as he could muster. It sounded as though everyone else did, too.

This Open felt like a major to MacIntyre. It was the only tournament he could attend as a kid. And he became the first Scot to win the Scottish Open since Colin Montgomerie in 1999 at Loch Lomond.

Next week is the big one — the British Open, the final major of the year across Scotland at Royal Troon, where the last British player to win was just over a century ago.

“Next week is a new week but I tell you, I’m going to celebrate this with my family, friends, and everyone here,” MacIntyre said. “I’m going to celebrate this one hard. We’ll pitch up to The Open when we pitch up to The Open.”

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The 27-year-old from the tiny coastal town of Oban won for the second time this year, also capturing the Canadian Open — the fourth-oldest championship in golf — last month.

He goes to No. 16 in the world, new territory for the son of a greenskeeper who feels he has had to work for everything he has.

“A lot of people have said, ‘He doesn’t quite have this, he doesn’t quite have that.’ But I have fight,” MacIntyre said. “That’s all I need.”

MacIntyre atoned for a tough ending last year at The Renaissance Club when he hit a 3-wood in tight for birdie on the last hole, only to lose out when Rory McIlroy drilled a 2-iron from 201 yards into the win to set up the winning birdie.

Scott, who closed with a 67, was in the scoring room watching on television when MacIntyre made the winning putt. He was on the verge of ending four years without a victory. He took solace from how he played in his first time contending this year.

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“Feel like I’m playing at a high level,” he said. “And you know, pleased for Bob. This is a big win. I played with him yesterday, and you can hear them singing. I think that’s awesome for him.”

Ludvig Aberg fell back on a chilly day with a fresh wind. The Swede, who started the day with a two-shot lead, played the par 5s in 2-over par after having played them in 9 under the previous three rounds.

His chances ended when he flubbed a chip from just short of the 16th green.

Scott bounced back from a double bogey on the eighth hole — it took him three chips to stay on the green — by holing a bunker shot on No. 9. The former Masters champion hit it stiff on the par-3 14th and rolled his putt from well off the green at the 16th to tap-in range for birdie.

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MacIntyre was three shots back, playing in the group behind Scott, when his fortunes turned with a 40-foot birdie putt on the 14th. He twice had to make 4-foot putts for par after ramming birdie chances too hard.

But the key was the 16th.

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

Aaron Rai also had reason to celebrate. After close calls the previous two weeks on the PGA Tour, the Englishman closed with a 63 to tie for fourth, earning one of the three final spots in the British Open next week.

Alex Noren of Sweden and Richard Mansell of England got the other two spots, bringing the field to 159 players. It’s the first time since 1995 the British Open has gone over 156 players, which it can handle because of the long daylight hours.

Rory McIlroy closed with a 68 and tied for fourth, his first appearance since he lost a late lead in the U.S Open last month at Pinehurst No. 2.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., finished as the leading Canadian at 13-under overall, tied for 10th. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., went 9-under total.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, went 7 under and 6 under, respectively.

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