Bob MacIntyre described his opening round of 67 at The Open Championship as "nigh-on perfect" after making a strong start to the tournament at Royal Birkdale. The 29-year-old Scot posted four birdies and a single bogey on Thursday, placing him two shots behind the surprising first-day leader, Jackson Suber.
MacIntyre began his round with birdies on his first two holes, marking a positive start to his first competitive appearance at Birkdale. "It’s exactly what I wanted. Exactly the start that I felt I needed to get right into the golf tournament," MacIntyre stated. "There’s not much I would have changed. Obviously, there were a few putts I hoped would go in that didn’t, but yeah, it was a solid start."
He further commented on his performance, noting, "It was a perfect start with the birdies on the first two holes. It was a nice tee shot down the 1st that caught the left edge of the fairway, a great second shot, and a lovely putt. I played really well. A couple of putts I don’t know how I missed, but other than that, I felt like it was almost a perfect round of golf with the great scramble at the last for par."
Despite battling personal challenges throughout the season, MacIntyre maintained his composure on the links course. He expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming competition over the next three days. "I enjoy it when I’ve got a fight," he said. "I’m not just fighting the golf course, I’m fighting myself, I’m fighting with Mike [his caddie]. Yeah, it’s a real grind."
MacIntyre also acknowledged the strategic demands of Royal Birkdale, describing it as one of the toughest links courses he has encountered due to the placement of pot bunkers in relation to hole lengths. "Someone is going to stand up there and smash driver on the golf course and could potentially get away with it, but it could switch the other way," he explained. "It’s the same for me. I could go play and play the same way I did and make three bogeys on the long holes. I’m having to hit a longer club in because I’m trying to stay out of the pot bunkers. It’s part of the game. I’m just playing it my way and did a decent job today."