What the occasions of the previous week or so in Pennsylvania may additionally have taken away are questions over MacIntyre’s place in on the summit of the sport.
He might need began the season’s third main twentieth on the planet rankings, however few outdoors his homeland readily reached for his title amongst their lists of contenders.
His file within the recreation’s largest occasions developments extra in the direction of stable than spectacular.
Tied twelfth within the 2021 Masters. Tied eighth within the PGA final yr. Tied sixth within the 2019 Open. All spectacular, however none had been real looking runs on the massive prize.
It mirrors his type this season on the PGA Tour. Solely two missed cuts however solely three prime 10s after two breakthrough victories final season.
However what occurred at Oakmont was totally different.
MacIntyre was the one participant from the in a single day top-10 to interrupt par within the remaining spherical. His two-under 68 was the most effective rounds he’ll probably ever signal for given the circumstances, 90-minute mid-round climate delay, and what was at stake.
Whereas others had been diminished, he appeared to develop.
“My earlier rain-delay comebacks have not been robust,” MacIntyre mentioned. “However right this moment was the day I mentioned to myself, ‘why not, why should not or not it’s me?’.
“I’ve put plenty of work into this – it is not simply luck. I simply needed to belief myself.”
That belief took him inside a few putts of changing into Scotland’s first main winner since Paul Lawrie on the equally-sodden 1999 Open.
It additionally put one other $2,322,000 into his increasingly-bulging pockets and hoisted him as much as twelfth on the planet in addition to fourth within the European Ryder Cup standings.
He is because of play once more this week on the Vacationers Championship in Connecticut earlier than heading dwelling to Oban after 11 weeks on the street previous to the defence of his Scottish Open title subsequent month.
The week after that, it is The Open at Royal Portrush and one other probability to flex his main muscle tissue at a venue the place he was in amongst it six years in the past.
“It is what I dreamed of as a child, sitting in Oban, watching all of the majors,” MacIntyre mentioned. “And there isn’t any cause why I am unable to win one and that is my purpose now.”
