Robert McIntyre is Amanda Balionis of CBS Sports He earned his first career PGA Tour victory after an emotional win at the RBC Canadian Open.
But the few words he spoke reminded us why we love golf.
“I’m speechless to be honest with you,” McIntyre said in his thick Scottish accent.
“I’m crying with joy, but I’m also laughing because I never thought it would be possible.”
McIntyre asked his father, Dougie, to caddie for him this week, and the Scotsman has had a number of different caddies over the past year as he struggles to find his rhythm at Loop.
He also acknowledged feeling out of place in his first full season on the PGA Tour. At the Myrtle Beach Classic, MacIntyre called the tour a “lonely place” and said the camaraderie on the PGA Tour was small compared to that of the DP World Tour in Europe.
Given the situation and the need for a caddie, MacIntyre called his father for what he described as an “emergency” and asked if he would fly in from Scotland to caddy for the RBC Canadian Open.
Thankfully, Dougie said yes.
“This is the man who taught me to play golf,” McIntyre added, fighting back tears.
“I can’t believe they did this with this guy playing catcher.”
Millions of fathers have passed on this great game to their children, just as Dougie did to his son Robert. That’s the beauty of this sport: anyone can play with anyone, regardless of age, skill level or socio-economic status. But even better, you can play this game for a lifetime. The McIntyres will surely play together forever, because golf gives those of us who play it joy.
I’m sure that anyone watching the event could relate to the shining relationship between father and son. I did too, because I thought of my father and my grandfather. He taught me how to play golf when I was five years old. I’m lucky to still be able to play golf with him. He’s 88 years old and regularly plays golf that suits his age.
That’s the beauty of golf.
You can cherish it forever with your family.
And it’s a moment the McIntyre family will no doubt cherish for years to come.
“I can’t believe it. I’m just a lawnmower,” Dougie said, quickly breaking into tears.
But he is more than just a greenkeeper at Oban – he is a father, it is the most important job in the world and watching his son shine on Sunday must have made him feel like the luckiest man in the world.
It was a special moment, and I hope it reminds you all of why you love this game.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.
