In the week that he lifted the lid on the loneliness of life on the PGA Tour, Oban golfer Bob MacIntyre finally found his form to storm to the top of the leaderboard at the Myrtle Beach Classic.
A stunning 64, featuring eight birdies, saw him tie with American Beau Hossler for first place after both carded 64s in their opening rounds in South Carolina.
Bob will have been particularly pleased with his craft around the greens, ranking third for putts in regulation and first for sand saves, areas of his game he has struggled with since making the switch to the US circuit.
He will begin his second round at 2.07pm hoping to continue his strong start and set himself up for a shot at his maiden PGA Tour win.
As he fights to make a name for himself across the pond, the 27-year-old has missed six cuts in the 12 events he has entered and confessed to missing the camaraderie of the DP World Tour, but says a three week break back home has recharged his batteries.
He certainly looked like a player reborn as he looks to grab his first tour win, building on his recent top ten finish in the Zurich Classic alongside playing partner Thomas Detry.
Bob said: “It does become a lonely place in America on the golf side of it. Obviously I went home for three weeks recently and felt like I came out a far happier man. because it does get on top of you. It’s a different environment for me, it’s completely different.
"“When you’re on the European DP World Tour, it’s very friendly. If we’re struggling with certain things, we speak to folk around us. You come out here to the PGA Tour, there’s less chatting, less dinners, just less of that big family feel.
"In player dining in Europe, if you’re sitting on your own, the other boys will come and join you. Out here, because you don’t know many folk, you don’t know them in that same kind of depth, they don’t come to sit with you. I wouldn’t expect someone to come and sit with me. It is what it is. You’ve got to get on with it.”
After missing The Masters, Bob will also tee up next week at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky as he contests the second major of the season, the USPGA Championship.
Hopefully he can go into that stern examination with a victory under his belt.
Yes! I would like to be sent emails from West Coast Today
I understand that my personal information will not be shared with any third parties, and will only be used to provide me with useful targeted articles as indicated.
I'm also aware that I can un-subscribe at any point either from each email notification or on My Account screen.