Bob MacIntyre reaches new world ranking high after fast start to 2026
Bob MacIntyre is up to fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking after a blistering start to his 2026 campaign.
The Oban man moved up to sixth on the back of finishing joint-fourth in the Sony Open in Hawaii last weekend. He jumped another spot after ending up tied for 38th in The American Express, won by world No 1 Scottie Scheffler at La Quinta in California on Sunday.
It means that the 29-year-old only has Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Russell Henley ahead of him in the latest global standings.
Bob broke into the top ten for the first time after finishing second behind Scheffler in last year’s BMW Championship, one of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Play-Off events, and has continued his steady progress up the ladder ever since.
While Scheffler’s position at the top of the pile looks unassailable, and McIlroy is comfortably in second spot, both Henley and Fleetwood aren’t too far ahead of the Glencruitten star, meaning top ten finishes in the upcoming tournaments could quickly propel him into third in the world.
Fellow Scots Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie both reached a career-high second place in the world rankings at the peak of their powers.
Bob had looked set for a tilt at the title in La Quinta after an incredible start to round one, opening up with a 31 on the first nine as he birdied 10 of the first 14 holes. He recorded just one bogey as an opening 63 fired him right into contention, but a disappointing 72 on day two saw him slip down the leaderboard.
He bounced back with a superb 67 on Saturday to move back alongside the leaders, but a 70 on Sunday put paid to any hopes of a top ten 20 finish.
Bob’s normally reliable game off the tee was a little off over the four days, with driving accuracy of just over 60 per cent and only 66 per cent of greens hit in regulation. He landed 25 birdies and seven bogeys over a solid four days, but only showed glimpses of the form that has cemented his place at the sport’s top table.
He is now back in Oban for a well-earned break before starting his build-up to The Players Championship. He will then move on to preparations for the first Major of the season, The Masters, at Augusta.
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