Robert MacIntyre Explains Logical Reason For Skipping This Week's $20 Million PGA Tour Signature Event
The Scot won his first PGA Tour event at the RBC Canadian Open last weekend - granting him access to the two remaining Signature Events this season
![Robert MacIntyre takes a ashot at the Sony Open In Hawaii](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fq2oPHcVr3GDKsnm3tonrE-415-80.jpg)
Fresh from his first PGA Tour win at the RBC Canadian Open, Scotland's Robert MacIntyre has explained why he will not be taking his place at the penultimate Signature Event of the season this week.
Days on from a fascinating tournament at Hamilton Country Club - in which MacIntyre triumphed by a single stroke - the Memorial Tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus is next on the PGA Tour calendar, an event which offers up a significant increase in prize money ($20 million compared to $9.4m last week) and FedEx Cup points to a regular week.
In the aftermath of the 27-year-old's success last Sunday, the Ryder Cup winner stated he was going home to have a big party instead of turning his attention to what would have been a seventh week of golf in a row.
Speaking on Wednesday, MacIntyre revealed he did not celebrate too much at all and simply returned back to his home in Oban, Scotland to be surrounded by "people that really matter" to him. He also went on to explain his decision not to play the Memorial in greater detail.
MacIntyre said: “I actually miscounted the tournaments that I’d played when I did a press conference last week. That was actually week six, and it’s been a good six weeks.
Robert MacIntyre holds the Canadian Open trophy
“The mental aspect of that six-week stretch was high, and then obviously winning last week was an even bigger high. So if I played Memorial, the US Open, and the Travelers [Championship], that would have been nine weeks in a row. Not many players would play nine weeks in a row, except probably me, the madman."
Despite MacIntyre's withdrawal, The Memorial will remain a 70-man tournament after Davis Thompson was included in place of the Scot via the Aon Swing 5.
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Continuing the defence of his decision, MacIntyre pointed to the fact he is resting ahead of a Major the following week.
He said: “There was no disrespect [intended] for Jack’s event. This was all about what was right for me.
“I mean, the fifth week, Colonial, I thought that was even a step too far after having obviously been in with a chance to win at Myrtle Beach, having an outside chance at the PGA Championship.
“So me and my team, we just thought it was the right thing to pull back, have a week off. It could have been any event. Yes, I get that it’s an elevated event, and it’s $20 million or whatever it is. But does preparing right for the US Open not show ambition? That’s for you to decide.”
Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and is hoping to reach his Handicap goal of 18 at some stage. He attended both the 150th and 151st Open Championships and dreams of attending The Masters one day.
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