British golf star accused of vile Masters behaviour hits back at critics in first words since incident

Callum Vurley
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:18:39 +0000

Robert MacIntyre has addressed his controversial conduct at The Masters for the first time since the tournament, conceding his actions fell short of acceptable standards.

The Scottish golfer spoke to Sky Sports' Nick Dougherty following an impressive opening round at the RBC Heritage on Thursday, where he fired a five-under-par 66 at Harbour Town Golf Links.

"I know what I've done isn't the best way of me doing things, but look, I wear my heart on my sleeve," MacIntyre told the broadcaster.

The 29-year-old from Oban had avoided all media obligations at Augusta National after missing the cut with rounds of 80 and 71.

MacIntyre's tournament unravelled during a disastrous opening round that included a quadruple-bogey nine on the par-five 15th hole.

After finding the water twice with his approach shots, the Ryder Cup winner directed an obscene gesture towards the hazard in a moment captured by television cameras.

His frustrations had been evident throughout the day, with audible expletives picked up by on-course microphones as his challenge collapsed. The Scot was also seen driving his club forcefully into the turf on both the 14th and 17th holes.

Augusta National officials subsequently reprimanded MacIntyre for his conduct during the opening round.

MacIntyre made clear that outside criticism holds little weight with him as he processes the Augusta fallout.

"I'm trying my best to control the emotions. I work with someone back home," he explained.

"Yeah, there's a lot going on and disappointed with that, but I'm very good at putting things behind me."

The two-time PGA Tour winner emphasised that his inner circle remains his primary source of guidance.

"I don't like things that get said elsewhere, that doesn't faze me," MacIntyre stated.

"I've got my family, friends and my team, these guys are the ones that I really listen to and, you know, if I've done something wrong, they'll tell me."

MacIntyre's strong showing at Harbour Town has positioned him firmly in contention, sitting just three strokes behind early pacesetter Ludvig Aberg in a share of tenth place.

The Scot's round featured six birdies against a single dropped shot, a marked improvement from his struggles in Georgia.

"Coming off last week and a disappointing performance, I was comfortable with the golf course," MacIntyre reflected. "It suits my game, I've been in good shape, so try to put as much of last week behind me as I could."

He added that his driving has been particularly impressive, allowing him aggressive approaches throughout the course.