Huge Ryder Cup boost for Bob MacIntyre on back of top-ten finish in The Open

Bob MacIntyre is up to second behind Rory McIlroy on Europe’s points list for the Ryder Cup after his top-ten finish in The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush.

The Oban man, who’d started the week in third spot, jumped above Tommy Fleetwood on the back of his strong performance in Northern Ireland.

Bob MacIntyre reacts after a missed putt on the 18th green during day four of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush | Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Career grand slam winner McIlroy has already secured his automatic spot, with MacIntyre, who made his debut in the biennial event in Rome in 2023, getting close to doing likewise.

Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka are the other players in automatic spots after the season’s final major.

Rasmus Hojgaard, Justin Rose, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Thomas Detry and Matt Wallace are next on the points list, with Matt Fitzpatrick up to 13th after his top-five finish in Northern Ireland.

The qualifying race ends after the Betfred British Masters and Tour Championship in the US on 24 August. Luke Donald, the European captain, will then announce his six picks on 1 September.

Meanwhile, MacIntyre picked up close to $452,000 for his week’s work in The Open, taking his season’s earnings on the PGA Tour to around $5.7 million.

Having now recorded five top-ten finishes this year, he’s jumped five spots to 15th on the FedEx Cup points list.

He’d already secured his spot in the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis, the opening FedEx Cup Play-Off event, next month.

His spot has also now been guaranteed in the BMW Championship in Maryland while it is looking good as well now for the Tour Championship in Atlanta, where the top 30 players will battle it out in the season finale.

He is still 14th in the Official World Golf Ranking and remains in ninth spot on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai Ranking.