Robert MacIntyre to pay off his parents’ mortgage after first PGA Tour title

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre has pledged to make his parents mortgage-free after his father, Dougie, helped him secure his first PGA Tour title at the RBC Canadian Open. MacIntyre shot a final round of 68 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, finishing 16 under par, just one shot ahead of local favorite Ben Griffin. Griffin had closed in with birdies on the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes, but failed to birdie the last, allowing MacIntyre to comfortably two-putt from 10 feet for the victory.

Dougie, the head greenkeeper at Glencruitten Golf Club, caddied for his son on short notice. MacIntyre humorously noted that his father would receive a generous portion of his £1.3 million winner’s cheque. “Yeah, he’s going to get a nice paycheck out of it. I think I’ve got to get rid of some money just now for tax reasons. But he’ll do nicely out of it. He deserves it. And my mum and dad will be mortgage-free now, and life’s looking a little bit better on that side of things,” MacIntyre said.

Reflecting on his upbringing, MacIntyre shared how his parents, who have fostered children for years, influenced his perspective. “I think it makes you realise that hitting a white ball around a golf course isn’t the most important thing,” he said, acknowledging the emotional toll of parting with foster children who had become like family.

Growing up, MacIntyre’s family faced financial challenges. Despite his father’s talents in football, golf, and shinty, they couldn’t afford to fully pursue his sports ambitions. This experience instilled a relentless work ethic in MacIntyre. “I wasn’t given everything as a kid. I was given a great opportunity. My dad was obviously a really good sportsman, football, golf, shinty, (but) didn’t have the finances to really chase it, and I think it was something that my mum and dad always wanted to do,” he said.

His two older sisters also made sacrifices, giving up some of their own interests in horse riding to support his golfing aspirations. “I couldn’t play in golf tournaments as a junior because we couldn’t afford it. I think that makes me fight and never give up, I think not being given anything. I mean, they gave me quite a bit. They gave me the opportunity, but never was I spoon fed, I was always fighting for every bit of it,” MacIntyre concluded.