'I putted like a ...': Bob MacIntyre bemoans poor final day on greens in Dubai

It meant the Oban signed off his DP World Tour campaign with back-to-back top-ten efforts in the circuit’s two Play-Offs in the UAE after finishing joint-ninth in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship the previous weekend.

It was a sign, though, of what MacIntyre now expects from himself in every single tournament, whether it’s a major, PGA Tour or DP World Tour event, that he was left feeling a tad disappointed.

“I didn’t putt good enough today,” he told The Scotsman after signing off with a 68 to finish on 14 under par, missing out on a play-off involving Rory McIlroy and Matthew Fitzpatrick by four shots.

“Yesterday I hit it terribly, went on the range, phoned Simon [Shanks, his coach] and got it back. Today I had my chances to get right in about it, but I just putted like a d***, to be honest.”

Helped by winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on home soil and finishing second in the US Open, MacIntyre finished a career-best sixth, dropping a spot in the last circuit, in the Race to Dubai Rankings.

“This is the level I expect myself to be playing at,” he added. “Look, I wasn’t well last week and felt like what I got out of it was brilliant. It was almost the maximum I could get out of it. This week, it was a good opportunity.

“I felt like I played nicely for probably 36-40 holes but, other than that, it was a struggle. Yeah, it shows my attitude is good when I am over the shot and I am committed to the shot. There is no thinking about the last shot. But, look, I let my anger out like everyone does and it might just show a bit more.”

MacIntyre’s last outing of the year on the circuit was with Ryder Cup team-mate Shane Lowry, who eagled the last to finish a shot behind the Scot.

“Yeah, it was,” said the world No 7 of his last-day pairing. “But, at the end of the day, he was just a playing partner. We are both trying to win a golf tournament. We are both trying to get a hot start and that’s something I didn’t do all week. Like getting two or three under after five holes to give me something to build a deep round.

“I fought well, especially in the middle of the round. But, from yesterday’s performance and Friday’s performance, going into today was like ‘what’s coming?’ But I thought I played really well today - just putted abysmal. I had so many chances and not just from your 50-50 range. From your good five to six feet, including one at the last. Just disappointing with the way I putted.”

MacIntyre will play his final event of the calendar year when he makes a second successive appearance in the Tiger Woods-hosted Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas early next month.

“I’ll then start 2026 in Hawaii,” he reported, having opted to play in the Sony Open on the PGA Tour in January rather than the Dubai Invitational and Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour, “then AmEx (the first of the Signature Events on the US circuit) and see where we are. It’s a bit up in the air after that.”

Grant Forrest (70) and Ewen Ferguson (69) finished next best among the Scots in the season finale in a tie for 28th on seven under. Reflecting on his week, Nexo Championship winner Forrest admitted it had been somewhat of a missed opportunity in the $10 million Rolex Series event.

“I got to eight under on the front nine in both the second and third rounds and then went backwards, which was disappointing as it stops your momentum in a big way,” he declared.

“Especially on Saturday at the 16th as a decent finish yesterday meant it could have been a different proposition for me in the final round. I actually had a lot of chances today but just couldn’t get any putts to drop.“

Dubai-based Ferguson birdied the par-5 18th for the fourth day in a row. “It was strange feeling so nervous over a three-footer on the last,” he admitted. Yeah, I played that last hole way better than I ever have.

“I wasn’t driving it that great so I hit two 3-woods up it today. I felt my body was a bit tired today and I wasn’t hitting it as well as usual but grinded out a good score, which I was happy with.”

Calum Hill closed with a 69 - his best effort of the week - to finish in a tie for 34th on six under. “Yeah, to shoot in the 60s for the final round of the year was good,” admitted the Joburg Open winner this year. “Even though I’ve been here a couple of times, it was my first time playing it in a tournament. So there were definitely a few mistakes made but, at the same time, there was lots of good in there and I can use it for the next time.”

Connor Syme, the fifth Scot to make it into the 52-man line up, also finished in red figures after a closing birdie but was disappointed with a closing 74 after starting birdie-birdie.

“Yeah, a frustrating day today,” said the KLM Open champion. “I got off to such a good start. It was difficult not to get annoyed by the score, but, at the same time, I was trying to reflect on a lot of highlights obviously throughout the year. Yeah, it was a bit of a frustrating week but, overall, pretty pleased.”

Forrest, Ferguson, Hill and Syme are all starting their 2026 DP World Tour campaigns after a short break by heading to South Africa for the Nedbank Challenge and Alfred Dunhill Championship.