Golfbet Recap: Robert MacIntyre avenges last year’s Genesis Scottish Open runner-up in dramatic fashion

Robert MacIntyre was beaten by a birdie on the 72nd hole at the Genesis Scottish Open in 2023. This year he got some sweet revenge, birdieing the final hole on Sunday at The Renaissance Club to overtake Adam Scott and win his home country’s open by a shot. What a finish. What a two-year run here in North Berwick for the man they call “Bobby Mac.”

MacIntyre is now a two-time winner this season, having won the RBC Canadian Open just six weeks ago. He heads to Royal Troon Golf Club next week in Ayrshire, Scotland, with roughly a +3000 price tag to make it back-to-back victories on his home soil.

It was just recently that MacIntyre came out saying that other than a major championship, nothing would be more special to him than a win at the Genesis Scottish Open. Certainly a wild turn of fortune for the man who really had the trophy ripped from him last year by an unthinkable birdie-birdie finish by Rory McIlroy.

Round-by-round odds on Robert MacIntyre to win Genesis Scottish Open (via BetMGM)

• Pre-tournament: +5000
• After Round 1 (T48, trailed by 5): +8000
• After Round 2: (T15, trailed by 4): +3300
• After Round 3 (2nd, trailed by 2): +500

Scott hasn’t won on TOUR since The Genesis Invitational 2020 and it looked like he was going to add another “Genesis” event to his resume on Sunday. He turns 44 years old next Tuesday. Sixteen years separate him and MacIntyre, but only one golf shot did in this historic finale. The Australian was a betting favorite to win down the stretch, all the way until MacIntyre drained his winning 22-foot putt for birdie on the 72nd hole.

Ludvig Åberg entered the final round with the lead for a second straight day. Owning a two-shot advantage over MacIntyre, the 24-year-old Swede was at 17-under par and a pretty heavy favorite to get the job done at -150. MacIntyre was +500. Three shots back at 14-under was Scott at +1200. Collin Morikawa was also at +1200, trailing by four at 13-under.

Åberg’s hot streak finally cooled off on Sunday. He was 1 over on his round after making bogey at No. 11 but remained a -125 favorite to win his second TOUR event in less than a year. Åberg would make two more bogeys on the inward nine before the day was over. He completely fell out of the picture with the most costly bogey at No. 16, which was playing as the easiest hole on the golf course.

Up ahead of Åberg, Scott seemed to put the tournament on ice with a brilliant up and down on the par-5 16th hole for a birdie that moved him to 17 under, two shots clear of the chase pack. Scott was back to a -300 favorite to win it and Åberg dropped back to +300. MacIntyre was a whopping +1200 long shot at this point.

Outright Results from Golfbet ks

• Will Gray: Aaron Rai (+4000) T4
• Ben Everill: Min Woo Lee (+2800) 73rd
• Chris Breece: Tom Kim (+2500) T15
• Matt DelVecchio: Viktor Hovland (+2200) T46
• Rob Bolton: Rory McIlroy (+700) T4
• Mike Glasscott: Ludvig Åberg (+1800) T4

It was then that the fireworks began for the Scotsman in front of his home country supporters. MacIntyre vaulted himself into a tie for the lead at 17 under with an eagle on No. 16 after receiving relief from a sprinkler head and ripping a 248-yard shot from the rough to inside 10 feet. Scott was now in the clubhouse but remained a favorite at -200 while MacIntyre was at +150.

As MacIntyre stood over his putt on the 18th green, Scott was still a -118 favorite and it looked like we were headed for extra holes. Moments later, MacIntyre watched his golf ball die into the cup, thrilled the crowd, celebrated, won the tournament, and realized a life-long dream.

A couple of other notes. We know that of all the major championships, The Open tends to cater to the game’s elder statesmen the most. Scott will be competing in his 24th Open next week at Royal Troon, where in 2016 the top of the leaderboard was dominated by 40-somethings. The momentum here this week can’t hurt the Aussie, who has finished top-25 in The Open four times, top-10 twice and top-5 three times, including runner-up in 2012.

Recent Open Champion Collin Morikawa was just a shot out of the lead making the turn on Sunday but made double-bogey at No. 11 and was never a factor again. Morikawa has now flirted with victory seven times this season, only to come up just short in the end yet again.

Personally, I have already made a bet on Morikawa to win it next week in the year’s final major. I also have a ticket on Tommy Fleetwood and a big longshot in Emiliano Grillo. Grillo finished 12th at Royal Troon in 2016, was 12th again in 2021, and was sixth last year at Royal Liverpool. If this week is any indication, we’re in for another week of drama along the Scottish coast.

Results from Rob Bolton Sleeper Picks and Golfbet Insider picks

• Jordan Smith to win (+12500) MC
• Min Woo Lee Top 5 finish (+500) 73rd
• Matthieu Pavon Top 10 finish (+550) MC
• Calum Hill Top 20 finish (+550) MC
• Alexander Bjork Top 40 finish (+240) MC
• Sahith Theegala Top 10 finish (+400) T4
• Davis Thompson Top 20 finish (+200) T46
• Max Homa Top 20 finish (+188) T70
• Ryan Fox Top 20 finish (+250) T57
• Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai both Top 20 (+425) T34/T4
• Ewen Ferguson, Victor Perez and Seamus Power all inside Top 40 (+1300) MC/T10/T65
• Thomas Detry, Adam Scott and Davis Thompson all make the cut (+280) T26/2nd/T46
• Corey Conners Top Canadian (+138) T10
• Rasmus Hojgaard Top 20 finish (+320) T21
• Guido Migliozzi Top 40 finish (+200) MC
• Keita Nakajima Top Japanese (+350) MC
• Matteo Manassero Top Italian (+175) T15
• Thorbjorn Olesen Top 40 finish (+160) T39
• Marcel Siem Top German (+333) T62
• Connor Syme Top 40 finish (+220) T15

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