MacINTYRE FLYING THE FLAG FOR SCOTS
ROBERT MacINTYRE gave Scotland’s long-suffering golf fans more reason to cheer after his second successive runner-up finish, this time at the Made in Denmark event. It was just a fortnight ago that the 28-year-old put in an impressive eagle-birdie finish to take joint-second at the British Masters and he threatened to go one better in a pulsating final day at the Himmerland Golf Resort. MacIntyre went head to head with playing partner Bernd Wiesberger at the top of the leaderboard until a wayward drive out of bounds on the 17th seemed to hand the trophy to the Austrian. However, the left-hander from Oban still had a putt on the last hole to take it into a play-off, only for the ball to narrowly slip by as he chased his maiden European Tour victory in what is thus far an impressive rookie season. ‘I thought I gave it everything I had,’ said MacIntyre after closing with a 66 for a 13-under-par total. ‘I had a poor shot on 17 which really cost me. I had to get it down 18 with a sniff and I did have a chance but Bernd played brilliant all day. ‘I gave it everything I had and am proud of the way I finished. We just have to keep knocking at that door and one will open.’ Asked about his tee shot on the 17th, MacIntyre added: ‘I hit two of the worst wedge shots I’ve hit in a long time in the two holes before it so I didn’t want to leave myself another 110-yard shot, so we decided to get right down the bottom (of the hill). ‘It’s the worst swing I’ve put on a shot in a long, long time but I’m young, I live and I learn.’ Wiesberger, who also carded a closing 66, had missed seven months of last season after undergoing wrist surgery. ‘(I’m) speechless,’ he said afterwards. ‘I’m so thankful to so many people who have been there for me last year. ‘I had so many great people helping me get back to where I am right now and I’m proud to pay it back this way. It’s been such a great week, I enjoyed myself so much and loved the way I started playing. ‘I didn’t expect it all. I had a rough year last year and it’s been a hard couple of months and it’s lovely to see it pay off.’