\n<\/p>\n
What the events of the past week or so in Pennsylvania might also have taken away are questions over MacIntyre’s place at the summit of the game.<\/p>\n
He might have started the season’s third major 20th in the world rankings, but few outside his homeland readily reached for his name among their lists of contenders.<\/p>\n
His record in the game’s biggest events trends more towards solid than spectacular. <\/p>\n
Tied 12th in the 2021 Masters. Tied eighth in last year’s US PGA Championship. Tied sixth in the 2019 Open. All impressive, but none were realistic runs at the big prize.<\/p>\n
It mirrors his form this season on the PGA Tour. Only two missed cuts but only three top 10s after two breakthrough victories last season. <\/p>\n
But what happened at Oakmont was different. <\/p>\n
MacIntyre was the only player from the overnight top-10 to break par in the final round. His two-under 68 was one of the best rounds he will likely ever sign for given the conditions, 90-minute mid-round weather delay, and what was at stake.<\/p>\n
While others were diminished, he seemed to grow.<\/p>\n
“My previous rain-delay comebacks haven’t been strong,” MacIntyre said. “But today was the day I said to myself, ‘why not, why shouldn’t it be me?’.<\/p>\n
“I’ve put a lot of work into this – it’s not just luck. I just had to trust myself.”<\/p>\n
That trust took him within a couple of putts of becoming Scotland’s first major winner since Paul Lawrie at the equally-sodden 1999 Open. <\/p>\n
It also put another $2,322,000 into his increasingly-bulging pockets and hoisted him up to 12th in the world, as well as fourth in the European Ryder Cup standings.<\/p>\n
He is due to play again this week at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut. He will then head home to Oban after 11 weeks on the road prior to the defence of his Scottish Open title next month.<\/p>\n
The week after that, it’s The Open at Royal Portrush and another chance to flex his major muscles at a venue where he started and finished well in 2019, as Shane Lowry romped to victory.<\/p>\n
“It’s what I dreamed of as a kid, sitting in Oban, watching all the majors,” MacIntyre said. “And there’s no reason why I can’t win one and that’s my goal now.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n