He wants the narrative to be that he’s the champion, but golfer Robert MacIntyre isn’t interested in being ‘the story’ himself.

When Robert MacIntyre lost the British Amateur Championship final in 2016, he thought his dream had slipped away. Just 19 at the time, he was devastated.

“I remember pretty much crying the whole way home,” he recalled to CNN Sports. “Because I thought I’m never going to get to play The Masters, never going to get to play the US Open or The Open in my life.”

Now 28, MacIntyre is preparing to tee it up at Augusta for the third time, reflecting on how far he’s come—and how much he’s learned. Looking back, he admits his younger self was “small-minded” to view that loss so dramatically. But at the time, it felt like everything.

“If I got beat at something when I was younger, I’d be crying. You wouldn’t believe how competitive I am,” he said with a grin. “If I play a game of pool or darts now, I’m not playing for the fun of it. That’s not me. I’m playing to win.”

The soft-spoken MacIntyre has become one of the more understated stars on the PGA Tour. Raised in the small Scottish town of Oban (population: 8,140), stepping into the bright lights of American sports culture has been a journey in itself.

“I’m a shy guy,” he said. “I’m the complete opposite to the Americans.”

In 2024, struggling with homesickness and the intensity of life in the U.S., he returned to Scotland for a break. Back home, he was just Bob again—“the boy that’s grown up in Oban,” not the PGA Tour professional. That reset worked wonders: within months, he had two Tour wins under his belt.

MacIntyre says he lives in two worlds—and has two different versions of himself.

“I think I’ve got two personalities,” he explained. “On the golf course, I’m very serious. Off the golf course, I’m very chilled out, easygoing, I love a laugh.”

The American golf scene, he’s learned, is best experienced in small doses—“dipping in and dipping out.”

“I come out here and it’s, ‘Lights, camera, action,’ everywhere, people shouting silly things,” he said. “I think I’ve just worked out that the things that annoy me are going to annoy me for the rest of my life in America, and the things I enjoy, I’ll always enjoy.”

He’s also had to adjust to the reality that his hobby has become his career—and that means staying sharp both physically and mentally.

“The eyeballs are always on you,” he said. “There’s always someone with a camera trying to catch you out. They’re just looking for that next story. And for me, it’s about not being that next story.”

Ironically, one of his most unforgettable moments did become that story. At the Canadian Open in June, MacIntyre’s breakout win drew widespread attention. Needing a caddie at short notice, he called his dad, Dougie—a greenskeeper back in Scotland. A few days later, father and son were celebrating the biggest win of his career, together.

“I’m crying with joy, but I’m laughing because I didn’t think this was possible,” MacIntyre said at the time. “This is the guy who has taught me the game of golf, and I just can’t believe I’ve done this with him on the bag.”

Just six weeks later, he won again—this time on home soil at the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, becoming the first Scot since Sandy Lyle in 1988 to win two PGA Tour events in a single season. That same year, Lyle won The Masters. Now, MacIntyre dreams of following in his footsteps.

“That’s the plan,” he beamed. “It’s one of my dreams. I met (Sandy) for the first time in 2021—lovely guy. I speak to him quite a bit on message and he’s given me a few tips on Augusta. My dream is to win the green jacket, and I think the course sets up reasonably nicely for me.”

Like many players, MacIntyre has long been captivated by the mystique of Augusta National.

“It’s not just one thing—it’s everything about it,” he said. “When you watch on TV, you see the beautiful flowers… it’s just the most perfect setting for a golf course in the world.”

MacIntyre makes no secret of his desire to reach the top of the game. He knows opportunities don’t come easy—but he’s ready when they do.

“One chance, that’s all I ask for,” he said. “Just one chance at a major championship—and then, hopefully, it can fall my way.”

The small-town kid is now on golf’s biggest stage—a fitting metaphor for the way he sees success.

“Golf is a process,” he said. “So long as I’m achieving my little processes, then you get the big trophy at the end of the week.”