Bob MacIntyre has admitted he can be like a 'kettle waiting to boil' but insists he is working hard to keep his emotions in check at the Genesis Scottish Open. The Oban star carded an impressive three-under 67 in sweltering conditions at the Renaissance Club to kick off his title bid.
MacIntyre keeps cool under pressure
The 29-year-old bogeyed the first hole and endured misfortune with a tee-shot at the last, yet remained composed throughout. In an honest post-round appraisal, he revealed the mental approach he is adopting to avoid the outbursts that have landed him in hot water before, most notably at Augusta this year where his frustration earned a ticking off from Masters officials.
MacIntyre explained: "Everyone knows that I'm like a kettle, always boiling away, ready to erupt. I'm Scottish. Swearing is in my vocabulary. If I am just having a normal conversation with Mike about the shot I am wanting to hit, I will swear in that."
The struggle to stay authentic
MacIntyre acknowledged that his authenticity sometimes causes problems, but he refuses to put on a false face. "Everyone sees the professional life, not everyone sees the personal life. Look, I'm lucky. I've got a great family, great friends. It's a small group and I love everyone of them and trust them all, but, when things aren't right, it's a struggle when I've got to come out here and try and pretend that everything is alright," he said.
He added: "It gets to a point where I am absolutely raging, can't keep a lid on it and then it explodes, as you guys have all seen. I accept that when that happens, it doesn't look pretty, it doesn't look good. It's not great for kids, it's not great for anybody. But, at the end of the day, it's my job."
Learning to manage emotions
MacIntyre revealed he has been speaking with someone for "two or three years" to improve his emotional control. He compared it to a golf swing: "It's like a golf swing. You just tweak it. It's not reinventing the wheel. It's just a little switch."
He cited an example from his round: "It's like that shot on my last hole there. Hit a lovely five-iron, a couple of yards right of the target. I think it's landed just short of the pin on the slope. It's ran all the way down and come back in the bunker. If I'm not in a good head space, I'm going ballistic. How unlucky is that? But, when the mind frame is the way it is now, I know I can hit those bunker shots. Just go and do it."
Personality in golf
Despite the fines, MacIntyre insists his personality is part of the game. "It's funny as I say that when I get fined. It's who I am. It's a personality. If you take all the personalities away from the game of golf, it will be boring. Rory has his personality, Chris has his personality. I think the game needs big personality. Like Bryson. A big personality, YouTube, everything he does."
MacIntyre's popularity among home galleries was evident as he delivered a strong opening round with a calm demeanour. He concluded: "The way I am just now, life is good. I just enjoyed the week off and, when I can do that and balance life and golf, I feel like I can come out here to practice and prepare and it makes it easier on the golf course. You still have problems, but nothing is that big of a problem. I don't understand it myself, but it just makes life a bit easier."
