Bob MacIntyre could complete a famous double on home soil this week by winning the Open Championship at Royal Troon.
The 27-year-old Scot won the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday evening with a brilliant flourish on the final few holes to win by one stroke.
That ended a 25-year wait for a home winner at the Scottish Open. MacIntyre is now tipped to end another 25-year drought by becoming the first Scot to lift the Claret Jug since Paul Lawrie in 1999.
Swedish superstar Ludvig Aberg partnered MacIntyre in the final round at The Renaissance and believes his Ryder Cup team-mate can go all the way in Troon this week.
“Yes, I definitely think he can win again,” said Aberg, who started the final round with a two-stroke lead but then went down.
‘Fair play to Bob yesterday, he did a great job. It’s not easy to play and perform in front of such a big audience — and he did it very well.
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Aberg played alongside MacIntyre in the final round and saw first-hand the Scot’s determination to win
“I’m really happy for him and his family and his coaches for what he did yesterday. Obviously I think this week is going to be really special for him too. Yeah, he can win it.”
Aberg, along with MacIntyre, made their Ryder Cup debut last year, and together they helped Team Europe to a convincing victory over the Americans.
The duo continues to go from strength to strength, with MacIntyre’s victory on Sunday following his win at the Canadian Open last month, which saw him extend his lead on the PGA Tour.
Aberg has also won twice since turning pro just over a year ago. The 24-year-old Swede believes the Ryder Cup was key in helping him and MacIntyre take their games to the next level.
“I can’t really speak for Bob, I guess. I can only speak for myself,” he said of MacIntyre, who yesterday postponed his media duties at Troon due to some lusty celebrations on Sunday night.
“But I learned a lot from that week. I thought it was really cool to be in that situation, to be around those players, or the people that I’ve been watching on TV for a long, long time. I think Bob would feel the same way, that you get better when you’re in that environment with better players.
Aberg, who is considered one of golf’s top talents, was disappointed with the way his challenge disappeared
“He did very well in Rome, and I think it definitely helped him and me a lot in the future.”
Aberg had hardly made a mistake since his professional career and missed out on victory on Sunday afternoon.
He entered the final round with a two-stroke lead and shot a par of three (73), dropping him to a tie for fourth place.
Asked where he felt the tournament had slipped away, he added: “I had a bit of trouble with the driver. I think yesterday was a good example of when I wasn’t on the fairway, it was tough.
“If we had played better off the tee, it would obviously have been easier to get a better score.”