Robert MacIntyre vented his frustration again after another problem arose during the final round of the US Open…
It has not been Robert MacIntyre’s week on Long Island.
MacIntyre was “right where I wanted to be” on level par with four holes remaining in his US Open second round on Friday, but the Scot has been out of contention ever since making two bogeys and a double in the space of three holes at Shinnecock Hills.
He signed for a 73 in the toughest of conditions on Saturday, admitting he teed off still angry about his disastrous finish in the previous round.
“How long has that taken me to play in a two-ball? Four hours 40 minutes,” he said. “That tells you all you need to know. Some of the pin positions are, to be honest, a bit ridiculous”
On Sunday, MacIntyre shot an improved level-par 70 to finish seven-over and in the middle of the pack.
His frustration, this time, was not egregious pin positions but the apparent inconsistency in watering of the greens at Shinnecock. MacIntyre approached an official with his complaint by the 11th green after he and his playing partner Chris Gotterup landed tee shots on the par-3 short of the hole and ended up with difficult pitches over the back of the green.
“I mean, the minute this goes out I am going to get bad rep for it,” he told reporters afterwards, “but they’ve put different amounts of water on each green. They have different softness. I mean, Chris has hit a beautiful shot right behind me into 11 and it’s taken one hop and run off the green.
“I’ve watched mine from the tee and it’s taken two bounces then gone over the green. Four holes prior, I’m standing on the seventh tee and I’m watching Joaquin Niemann hit into the second hole and he’s pitched it round about the pin and spun it off the front of the green. Come on.”
MacIntyre, who finished runner-up last year at Shinnecock, revealed the details of his discussion with the USGA official, which focused around the inconsistency in firmness of the geens.
“I said to him ‘look, at The Open Championship, they tell you how much firmer the golf course has got. Here, they told us they were going to syringe the greens the first two days.
“I mean, most weeks you don’t know how firm it is, but these golf courses can change in an absolute heartbeat. For instance, I hit an 8-iron into the 17th hole, coming down out the left, and it stopped within two yards. I’ve hit a 9-iron into 11 and it’s bounced twice on the green and went over the green. I mean, it’s only getting firmer on that 11th green.
“Yeah, I was pissed off and thought I am going to go and ask the question. I don’t normally do that, but I just thought ‘you know what, I am going to ask him why’. He just gave me the answer I thought I was going to get, to be honest. But I was kind of venting a little bit.”
“I mean, we are still playing golf here. But I just feel the inconsistency of it isn’t right. Even 18 is like concrete. I get that different holes are exposed, but 18 is down in a valley and the water is holding there. But it was brick hard.
“Yeah, I guess I am probably moaning a little too much for sitting 43rd place or whatever.”
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