Robert MacIntyre winning a major would not be a surprise and his fearless mentality could propel him to one of the big four titles, says former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.
Ireland’s McGinley, who has become one of the most astute analysts in the game, believes the Scotsman’s form over the past two years has established him among the elite.
MacIntyre, 28, staged a late surge to claim the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club last July – a month after winning the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open with his dad Dougie on the bag.
“With big titles behind them – against strong fields – a major is not that big a leap for him,” McGinley told BBC Sport Scotland.
“It didn’t happen at Augusta (MacIntyre missed the cut), but he’s certainly in that upper echelon of people being considered to win a major.
“Should he do so, it would not be that big a surprise. Two years ago, it would have been a big jump. But he’s closed the gap to the best players in the game.
“He’s got a swashbuckling style. He doesn’t play with a lot of fear. He is one of those guys that you will consider as a potential winner in every major.”
McGinley – speaking on the eve of a Legends Tour’s event at Apes Hill in Barbados, hosted by former Masters champion Ian Woosnam – can see similarities in the development of MacIntyre and Danny Willett, winner at Augusta in 2016.
Willett was world number 12 when he claimed his Green Jacket but was viewed as a surprise winner because he played his golf largely on the European circuit.
MacIntyre is 20th in the world and usually flies under the radar when predictions are made about potential major winners.
However, he contributed 2½ points out of three matches to help Europe regain the Ryder Cup in Rome in 2023 and backed that up with his two victories last year
“He reminds me a bit of when Willett won the Masters. He had won in Dubai against a great field a couple of months before, so although it was a bit of a surprise win for the US audience, he was on the cusp of the world top-10 at the time,” added McGinley.
