During a major like the Masters Tournament, tension can rise, and players will start to feel the pressure. The US Open at Oakmont last year is a great example of this. The tournament was so stressful for the players that there were multiple outbursts that weekend, including the now-infamous locker-room incident that led to Windham Clark being banned from the club. For the Masters Tournament, Robert MacIntyre is seeing some consequences for his response during round one.
MacIntyre And The Pond
For Robert MacIntyre, the 15th hole during round one became his albatross. He hit his ball, and it landed right in the water twice. With the penalty drops, MacIntyre found himself with a quadruple bogey with a score of 9 on a par 5 hole. Each ball in the water gave him a penalty and only raised tensions for the golfer. After the second time, he landed a ball in the water, MacIntyre was seen on camera assessing the situation, and he expressed his building frustration by raising a middle finger directed towards the pond. It was very quick, a “blink and you’ll miss it” situation, but immortalized online for all to see. It is also a gesture that is frowned upon in a sport like golf.
Augusta National Takes Action
Unfortunately for MacIntyre, he did this at the Augusta National, which is infamous for its strict rules and regulations. This is a country club that bans cell phones, and last year began cracking down on ticket reselling. This is a club that prefers to keep the buttoned-up and polite image for the sport. So after MacIntyre showed the pond his finger, an Augusta National official pulled him aside to give him a reminder or two of the rules. According to the Scotsman, MacIntyre “was reminded of a code of conduct for the event after a day to forget at Augusta National … One of the officials had a word with him after signing for his hugely disappointing effort.”
The first round didn’t get any easier for MacIntyre. During the 17th hole, he was seen slamming his club against the ground. MacIntyre ultimately finished the round with a score of 80. He finished round two with a more reasonable score of 71, but he did not make it past the cut for the major.
Robert MacIntyre Learning A Lesson
Golf has an image of being a gentleman’s sport. This image is rarely strayed from, with one of the few exceptions being LIV Golf, which presents itself with the tagline “golf but loud.” Beyond that league, golf falls in line with a quiet, peaceful competition. This is enforced, and MacIntyre just learned that the hard way. It isn’t uncommon to see golfers express frustration. Just this year, Scheffler threw his ball into a pond after finishing a stressful hole. However, the players will still need to express self-restraint in order to avoid a penalty. MacIntyre was lucky that he was only reprimanded, as the penalties felt like enough punishment.
Main Photo Credit: © Grace Smith-Imagn Images
