One of the stars of Europe’s recent Ryder Cup victory, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, has joined the star-studded fields for Australian golf’s two major tournaments – the ISPS Handa Australian Open and the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.
Ranked 54th on the Official World Golf Ranking, MacIntyre will come to Australia with two primary goals – a third DP World Tour career victory and regaining a place in the world top 50 which would guarantee his place in all four of golf’s major championships in 2024.
The 27-year-old made a memorable debut Ryder Cup appearance against the United States in Italy in September, going undefeated as an automatic selection, including a win in his final-day singles match against US Open champion Wyndham Clark.
Earlier in the year, he was involved in one of golf’s best final-round duels in 2023 when he went head-to-head with Rory McIlroy over the finishing holes at the Scottish Open, eventually losing to the former world No.1 by a shot after closing with a sensational round of 64.
With six top-10s this year, MacIntyre is currently ranked eighth on the DP World Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai standings.
“I’ve always loved Australia and have family there, so I’m really looking forward to the fortnight playing in Brisbane and Sydney,” MacIntyre said.
“The Australian PGA and Australian Open are two tournaments with great history and I’d love to be up there in both. There’s been some great examples in the past of players winning in Australia and then going on to big things in the following year.”
The Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland (November 23-26) and Australian Open at The Australian and The Lakes (November 30-December 3) are co-sanctioned by the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and DP World Tour.
Joining MacIntyre as part of an impressive Scottish contingent from the DP World Tour in both tournaments will be Grant Forrest, currently ranked 36th on the Race to Dubai; Connor Syme (44th); and Calum Hill (51st).
A winner of the 2021 Hero Open in his homeland, Forrest has six top-10 finishes in 2023, highlighted by a tie for third at the Irish Open, while Syme had a great run during August-September, picking up four top-10s, including an equal third at the European Masters.
Hill, a DP World Tour winner in 2021 at the Cazoo Classic in England, was third at this year’s ISPS Handa Championship won by Australia’s Lucas Herbert and fourth at the British Masters claimed by New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier.
The new additions for the Summer of Golf join a star-studded list that includes leading Australians Cam Smith, Cam Davis, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Lucas Herbert and Marc Leishman; PGA Tour players Patrick Rodgers and Nick Hardy; and defending Australian Open champion Adrian Meronk, of Poland.
