PGA Tour A lister urges Bob MacIntyre to 'stick with it' in nail biting race to the Masters

Open Champion Shane Lowry has urged Bob MacIntyre to ‘stick with it and work your socks off’ as the Scottish star strives to secure a footing on the PGA Tour.

MacIntyre, 27, finds himself the lone Scot in this week’s Valspar Championship again being staged on the famed Copperhead course that boasts a closing three-hole stretch known as the ‘Snake Pit’ near Tampa on Florida’s west coast. The $US 8.4m (Stg 6.6m) event is MacIntye’s ninth in his rookie PGA Tour season. He has made the cut in four of them but had the weekend off in four others, including last week’s flagship Players Championship that produced rounds of 74 and 76.

MacIntyre proudly teed up in a first event in Hawaii some nine weeks ago and with a best finish being his share of sixth late last month at the Mexican Open. However, since securing his Tour card last December at the Race to Dubai final, MacIntyre’s world ranking has dropped – from a then No. 56 to a present No. 74.

The Oban lefty has just this week and next to get himself into the top-50 if he’s to tee-up on April 11th at the Masters. Lowry, now aged 36, has also struggled to have won just once at the 2022 BMW PGA Championship since bringing Ireland to a standstill in capturing the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

And after recent week’s where he’s been in contention for just a second US soil victory in nearly 80 years, the Irishman can share his winning Rome Ryder Cup team-mate frustrations. Lowry said: “I see Bob all the time and I saw him and Shannon (MacIntyre’s girlfriend) at Sawgrass.

“Bob’s probably not played the golf he wanted, but it’s not easy over here. I found that when I came over in my first couple of years, but you’ve just got to stick with it and work your socks off.

“Bob