Robert MacIntyre offers apology after calling for St Andrews to ‘blow up’ famous Road Hole

His remarks would have had Royal & Ancient members spluttering over their single-malt whiskies, but Robert MacIntyre has now issued an apology for comments made last weekend about the Old Course’s famous Road Hole.

MacIntyre posted a double bogey at St Andrews’ 17th in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Saturday, and followed that up with a bogey on Sunday, which contributed to him finishing 10 shots behind winner Tyrrell Hatton.

Afterwards MacIntyre told The Scotsman he would “blow up” what he described as “one of the worst holes in world golf”.

“I think it’s a terrible hole off the back tee,” the Oban golfer said. “It doesn’t need to be modernised. To bring excitement it needs to be a hole you are able to hit a golf shot into and not one where you just hit it onto the green and try to get up and down.

“It almost plays like a par 5. They try to do things to this golf course that don’t need to be done. Today I rifled a drive off the tee and then a 4-iron and I was the furthest up the hole.”

St Andrews’ Road Hole is deemed to be one of the hardest holes in championship golf, a long Par 4 with a blind tee shot over buildings and an awkward approach to a diagonal perched green guarded by a piece of pavement and a wall on one side and a tricky bunker on the other.

After taking some time to digest his comments, a sheepish MacIntyre took to social media to apologise, saying he had spoken in “the heat of the moment”.

“Double bogey on Saturday then bogey Sunday and you got both barrels,” the 28-year-old said. “Sorry 17th hole @‌TheHomeofGolf. All heat of the moment… nothing personal.”

MacIntyre, who had earlier picked up four birdies in the first five holes, finished just outside the top 10 in the team event.

The Scot has had a brilliant season, winning twice on the PGA Tour at the Canadian Open and the Scottish Open.

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