When Bob MacIntyre first made the journey down Magnolia Lane back in 2021, a clip of him driving along with ceilidh band Gunna Sound blaring out of his car speakers soon caught fire on social media.
He returned 12 months later and opted for a similar soundtrack in his car, only this time it was the Oban Pipe Band who marked his entrance on to the property at Augusta National.
These were the days when MacIntyre’s persona was that of a happy-go-lucky young man from Oban, one who had a wicked sense of humour and could offer a nice line in self-deprecation
Much of the narrative around him at that point focused not on his golf, not on his supreme talent and potential, but on the fact that he played a bit of shinty in his spare time.
Back in those days, there was almost a novelty factor to it all. Everything was still relatively new to him. He was, at that point, largely unheralded in America. An unknown quantity.
It is a persona that has long since been parked and left behind. MacIntyre now arrives back at Augusta as a bona fide superstar, one of the game’s elite players – and a man in ominously good form.
Bob MacIntyre has been tipped as a contender at this year’s Masters at Augusta
He sits inside the top 10 in the world rankings, currently positioned at No 8. He is now a proven winner on both the PGA and DP World Tour.
He is a two-time Ryder Cup winner. His career earnings already sit around the $20million mark, a long way from when he promised to buy his mum a new fitted kitchen with his first big pay cheque in 2019.
He has already won his home event, courtesy of beating Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and others down the stretch in a thrilling finish to the Genesis Scottish Open in 2024.
At 29 years old, he will soon be coming into the prime of his career. The only mountains left for MacIntyre to climb are those in the majors.
He will tee it up at The Masters this week with every chance of finally ending Scotland’s long drought in the majors.
Paul Lawrie lifting the Claret Jug at Carnoustie in 1999 feels a long time ago now. Even more so Sandy Lyle’s two victories in the majors; the 1985 Open Championship followed by a Green Jacket in 1988.
Colin Montgomerie had several near misses over the years, finishing as runner-up on five occasions in majors, although perhaps none quite as painful as the US Open at Winged Foot in 2006.
Whenever there is a discussion about the greatest players never to win a major, Montgomerie’s name invariably pops up. Likewise that of Lee Westwood.
Given that MacIntyre has yet to even reach his 30th birthday, he could still quite easily have 10-15 years left competing at the top level.
Any talk of him joining Montgomerie and Westwood as being a nearly man in majors would be unfair and premature.
Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, for one, believes it is now only a matter of time until MacIntyre breaks his duck in the majors.
It is a belief which is becoming more widespread. The notion that MacIntyre could win majors – yes, plural – is no longer the preserve of those with tartan-tinted glasses.
Listening to some of the American analysts on TV this week, MacIntyre’s named has frequently cropped up as one of the players they fancy. And for good reason, too.
His form is strong. In his last two starts, he finished fourth at The Players Championship at Sawgrass, before finishing in a tie for second at last week’s Texas Open.
Given that MacIntyre held a four-shot lead at the halfway stage of last week’s tournament in San Antonio, there could easily be a sense of regret at allowing it to slip away.
But it became a very messy and disrupted event over the weekend due to weather delays. His momentum was undoubtedly affected by that and, in the end, he finished a shot back from winner JJ Spaun.
It was Spaun, of course, who pipped MacIntyre in stunning fashion to win last year’s US Open at Oakmont.
But the way MacIntyre surged into contention on that Sunday in June of last year only reaffirmed the belief that his time will soon come in a major.
The conditions were brutal. Others around him faltered badly. But MacIntyre grew stronger and his final round of 68 was without question one of the finest of his career given the circumstances.
MacIntyre had started the day seven shots off the lead. For a period of around half an hour on the back nine on Sunday, the stars were aligning.
But Spaun broke his heart, holing a monster putt on the final green, to eventually win by a margin of two shots.
Major champions rarely arrive fully formed. The vast majority of them experience some heartache along the way prior to getting over the line.
MacIntyre will recognise Oakmont last year as a necessary experience. Certainly, what it proved is that the character and temperament to thrive down the stretch in a major.
MacIntyre is looking for an Andy Murray-like breakthrough in the majors
He is not the type who would buckle under pressure. Instead, he would almost certainly rise to it. Speaking about MacIntyre this week, McGinley touched on this steely resolve and resilience.
MacIntyre is a born competitor. He plays some of his best golf when the pressure is at its most extreme. In term of individual sporting pursuits, he is golf’s answer to Andy Murray.
Murray also had to endure a few near misses in the majors, losing in four finals before he finally broke his duck at the US Open in 2012.
No one could forget Murray’s tears only a few weeks earlier, when the enduring brilliance of Roger Federer had denied him in the final at Wimbledon.
Then the floodgates opened for Murray. He won three majors, two of which came at Wimbledon, over the next four years. MacIntyre is now banging on the door in the same way that Murray was.
In terms of first-time major winners, his credentials are as strong as anyone else’s right now. Especially at Augusta, a course which lends itself nicely to left-handers; Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson.
MacIntyre’s long game is in terrific shape. In strokes gained from tee to green, his stats are up there with the very best right now. His chances are likely to hinge on whether his putter can catch fire.
But one thing is for sure. He is poised and ready to take the next step. He has long been the pride of Scotland. The question now is whether he can be the Master of Augusta come Sunday night.
