Old Course 'growing' on Bob MacIntyre ahead of 155th Open after landing shot 12 years in making

But, before leaving St Andrews on Sunday night, the Oban man admitted he is licking his lips about the prospect of being back there next July for The 155th Open after taking another step in his improved relationship with the Old Course.

As the defending champion, MacIntyre finished joint-sixth behind Pole Adrian Meronk in the 25th edition of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and, but for two double bogeys at St Andrews over the weekend, he could easily have joined Tyrrell Hatton as the only player to claim back-to-back victories in the $5 million DP World Tour event. “Yeah, not a bad week,” he said of his effort.

At the end of the same tournament two years ago, MacIntyre branded the iconic Road Hole as “one of the worst holes in golf” and called for it to be “blown up”, though he subsequently apologised for those comments.

Ahead of his title defence last week, he talked about how winning on the historic course had certainly helped in terms of building a relationship with it and he admitted with a smile that it has grown again on the back of his latest two competitive circuits on it.

“It is growing,” he told The Scotsman, feeling particularly pleased about how he’d negotiated the Road Hole in a closing 68, having signed for the same score at St Andrews on Saturday. “With my second shot at 17, I actually hit the golf shot that I've been trying to hit for probably 12 years. I know how to play the golf course and I feel like I've done a good job again this weekend.”

Does that mean he’ll be teeing up in The Open next year feeling better than he did for the 150th edition in 2022, when the Scottish No 1 tied for 34th behind Australian Cameron Smith? “Aye, 100 per cent,” he replied. “Look, I love the town. I've always said that. We come here on family holidays. St Andrews is a special, special place.

“The golf course was never my favourite, but I'm starting to grow on it. A lot of people have said that. The more you play it, the more you start to enjoy it. Obviously, the success has helped that.

“I'm starting to see things where I can push a little bit more up off the tee shots in certain holes or other holes. I'm fairly aggressive - it’s the way I play golf. So, yeah, I'm starting to work it out.”

On the back of his finish on Sunday, MacIntyre jumped 18 spots to sit 52nd in the Race to Dubai and will now sit back and see if he stays in the top 70 for the Abu Dhabi Championship - the first of the season-ending Play-Offs.

“Yes, it's going to be a quiet two-and-a-bit months,” he declared with a smile. “Try and lose a bit of weight. Get in the gym. Do a bit to the house. Hopefully build a simulator at the house. Life's good!”