Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre struggled through a tough opening round Thursday, April 9, at the Masters.
Playing with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and sentimental favorite Gary Woodland, MacIntyre’s score began creeping above par late in the front nine.
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Things got ugly very quickly toward the end of the round.
On No. 15, MacIntyre hit his approach shot into a pond in front of the green. His disgusted response included a quick middle finger aimed at no one in particular — or maybe everyone, but at least the hole. Consequently, MacIntyre ended up with a quadruple bogey on the hole on the way to an 8-over par round.
NUCLR Golf shared the low moment on X.
That kind of move might play at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. But this is the genteel Masters, where towering pines and azaleas are supposed to soothe the savage breasts of combustible golfers.
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Plus, MacIntyre’s displays of temper didn’t end there. He also slammed his club in frustration on the 14th and 17th holes.
As such, MacIntyre is likely to face disciplinary action before his second round begins at 10:19 a.m. ET Friday, April 10, per ESPN.
As it turned out, only six players turned in a higher score than MacIntyre’s 8-over, and two of them are amateurs.
Meanwhile, Scheffler and Woodland both finished under par despite the histrionics playing out beside them. Scheffler, a two-time Masters champ, turned in a 2-under-par round and sat three strokes behind leaders Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns. Woodland, who won the Texas Children’s Houston Open in March just two-and-a-half years after brain surgery, came in at 1-under par.
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The 29-year-old MacIntyre’s best finish at the Masters came in his 2021 debut. Then, he came in tied for 12th at 2-under par, eight strokes behind winner Hideki Matsuyama.
Since them, MacIntyre tied for 23rd in 2022 and missed the cut in 2025.
MacIntyre has two PGA Tour wins, both in 2024. He claimed titles at the Scottish Open and the Canada Open. In 2025, he helped Team Europe to a Ryder Cup victory. And this year, he came in fourth at The Players Championship.
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