Robert MacIntyre reveals he made a big change to his game which ‘backfired’ in social media statement
· Yahoo Sports
Big things were expected of Robert MacIntyre this season.
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The Scot put himself in contention at the US Open, only to be beaten by JJ Spaun at Oakmont, then played an integral part in Team Europe’s road Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black.
But despite being in the mix on Sunday at The Players at the start of the year, it’s been a disappointing season overall. He landed in hot water at The Masters for showing a middle finger to Augusta National on his way to missing the cut, and received a code of conduct warning for slamming his club into a tee box at The Open.
MacIntyre has had some good results, including a T3 at his home Scottish Open and a T2 at the Valero, but between his attitude on the course and his performances, it’s safe to say his stock has gone down.
In a recent social media statement, MacIntyre revealed he made a big change this year which completely backfired on him.
Photo by Warren Little/Getty ImagesThe change that Robert MacIntyre made which ‘backfired’
We won’t see MacIntyre again until the FedEx Cup playoffs begin in a few weeks, but in the meantime, he posted a statement to social media to break down the state of his game.
He said he tried to improve his approach play during the season, but this move ended up making his game worse.
MacIntyre posted to X: “Despite some frustrating results statistically my game has been better than last year, CRAZY GAME.
“Since the Texas Open I haven’t had my best stuff. Went searching for things through equipment and neglected the basic fundamentals of my golf swing. As a golfer you’re always trying to improve and thought I could make a massive improvement with approach play and it kind of backfired.
“So since the US Open we have tweaked my irons with Titleist and results have been far better. Had a chance at the Scottish Open again which was a great feeling and had a good start at The Open but never got anything going over the weekend.
“Off the course, life has changed for the better but definitely taken some getting used to for sure. Time at home now before the FedEx playoffs.”
MacIntyre had a baby this year, so he’s taking some well-earned rest to spend some time with his son. Hopefully this recharge is what he needs to go on a run of good performances in the playoffs.
Robert MacIntyre’s 2026 compared to last season
MacIntyre said that statistically this season has been better than last, and in some ways he’s right.
His putting has been much better. He’s gained 0.63 strokes to the field with his putting, which is up 0.3 from last year. He’s also gained 0.25 strokes to the field off the tee, making strides with his driver.
But as MacIntyre mentioned, his iron play has fallen off a cliff. In 2025 he gained over 0.3 strokes on approach, but it’s the one area of his game where he’s losing strokes to the field in 2026. That’s the glaring hole in his game, which he’s corrected in recent weeks.
MacIntyre gained 2.5 strokes on approach at the Scottish Open, and while he lost his approach play at The Open the following week, that was a promising sign. That’s the type of form he needs to take into the playoffs as he goes for his first win of the season.