The champagne wasn’t on ice. It was all over Robert MacIntyre. Amid giddy scenes of jubilant cork-popping at Marco Simone, the Oban rookie was left absolutely drenched in the sparkly stuff.
The droothy golf writers were almost tempted to try to wring his sodden shirt into a glass and have a gargle of our own to toast a job well done. “I might not wash this,” beamed a drookit MacIntyre as he appeared for a post-Ryder Cup chin-wag while celebrations roared on around him.
It had been a thrilling day for Team Europe. It was probably going to be quite a night too by the looks of it.
For MacIntyre, the first Scot to play in a Ryder Cup since Stephen Gallacher in 2014, the week as a whole will never be forgotten. A terrific 2&1 singles win in the anchor match with the reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark put the cherry on the cake as the Europeans eased to a famous 16 ½ - 11 ½ victory.
MacIntyre left Marco Simone undefeated, having picked up two-and-a-half points from his three matches. He was one of only three players from either side to boast such a record.
By his own admission, MacIntyre played a bit-part role during his first fourballs outing with Justin Rose on Friday as the Englishman almost single-handedly dragged the pair to a half-point against Clark and Max Homa.
The Ryder Cup is a team game, though, and the 27-year-old earned his stripes over the weekend as he upped the ante and made his mark.
For the wider MacIntyre clan, all roads from Oban had led to Rome. Once again, their talented young son had made them proud.
“I’ve only seen my dad in tears a few times and that’s been for serious reasons,” said MacIntyre. “When I finished my match on 17 I saw he had a tear in his eye. They (his mum and dad) have given me everything in life. My dad didn’t have opportunities that I have had and he worked so many jobs to give me the chance. This means everything.”
Europe’s golfing union has always been strong. The one for all and all for one spirit of the Ryder Cup, meanwhile, has been right up MacIntyre’s street.
“What a bond it is with the guys,” he added. “When I made the team, that was just half the battle. The main thing was to win the Ryder Cup. And we’ve done it. Along with the other four rookies, I was an outsider. We didn’t really know the top boys properly. But they welcomed us in with open arms.
“Right from the start, they talked about no one being above anyone. Yes, there are guys you look up to as mentors who are the top dogs like Rory (McIlroy), Rahmbo (Jon Rahm) and Justin (Rose) but we are all equal. The whole spirit has been like a big family.”
MacIntyre certainly demonstrated plenty of spirit yesterday as he staved off the advances of major champion Clark with a polished display. It wasn’t all plain sailing, of course. He missed a tiddler on the 14th as Clark fought back from three-down after five to level the match just as affairs elsewhere were becoming a bit nervy.
“I missed the wee one on 14 but I reminded myself that I won the Italian Open here last year when I missed the exact same putt,” said MacIntyre after keeping the heid when it may have easy to lose it amid the building tension. “I’ve been there, done it and got the t-shirt. I just had to knuckle down.”
There was a point as the US were rallying when it looked like MacIntyre might be needed to drag Europe over the line as they scrambled for the elusive half point.
“I’m not sure if I’d have relished that role,” chuckled MacIntyre of the prospect of bring it all home. Thankfully, Europe did get home and hosed before MacIntyre closed out his own win.
“I was talking with Shane (Lowry) and Tommy (Fleetwood) in the locker room before we came out for our matches,” he said. “We were saying ‘surely this doesn’t come down to us?’ But as I’m watching it unfold on the course I’m thinking, ‘this is coming close, this is coming close’. I was cruising early on. And then I was in a dog fight. But matchplay is my game and I fight like a dog.”
The champagne was richly deserved.
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