DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The European Tour Rookie of the Year race is for all intents and purposes over. The Tour might as well hand Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre the Sir Henry Cotton trophy before the final round of the $8 million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai instead of waiting until afterwards.
But then MacIntyre’s Mum Carol probably knew all along her son was going to win the rookie title. Dad Dougie? Maybe not.
The 23-year-old’s parents are out in Dubai watching their son in action, but they’re not walking together.
“Mum and dad are staying apart on course because mum is so positive but dad negative,” MacIntyre revealed.
“He always thinks the worst, but that’s just natural with my dad. He’s played sport at the top level. It’s a Scottish thing. My mum is definitely the positive one out of the two.
“I reckon I’m more my mum mind-set wise.”
DP World Tour Championship, Dubai: Leaderboard
Just as well, or Kitayama might be cruising to the rookie title.
Kitayama has to play out of his skin in the final round and hope the Scot has a colossal collapse to have any chance of becoming only the third American following Brooks Koepka (2014) and Peter Uihlein (2013) to win the rookie title. The Las Vegas resident will get generous odds in his adopted city on that happening, but he’d be wise not to splash any cash on them.
MacIntyre starts the final round 10 shots ahead of Kitayama after a third round 68 to Kitayama’s 77. All he has to do is finish ahead of the former UNLV player and he’ll become the first Scot since Marc Warren in 2006 to win the rookie title.
The left-hander was six shots better than his second round, when he thought he’d put the rookie title in jeopardy.
“I found something in my long game and mainly my driver,” MacIntyre said. “I could go at it today and knew where it was going. The last two days I had been guiding it when I should have just been pegging it up and giving it a rip.
“Today I wasn’t having to look over my shoulder and watch what was going on with him (Kitayama). Although you are trying not to, it is human that you do.”
MacIntyre doesn’t quite have his mom’s total belief. He’s not counting chickens.
“Not yet,” he said when asked if the rookie race was over. “Once it’s all done, I am sure I will taste a wee beer at the end of it.”
He can probably drink a few cold ones on the way round tomorrow. This race is over.
[lawrence-related id=778013246,778013250]