Robert MacIntyre is looking to catch the one that got away as he tees it up at this week's 2022 Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett.
The Scotsman announced himself onto the DP World Tour stage at this event at Hillside Golf Club in 2019, finishing eagle-birdie to catapult himself to a share of second and a career-best finish at the time.
He finished second again in his next start en route to claiming the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award and has since gone from strength to strength, becoming a DP World Tour winner at the 2020 Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown and making the cut in all eight of his Major Championship appearances.
The 25-year-old was well positioned for a second Tour win at The Belfry 12 months ago as he entered the final round one shot off the lead but a closing 71 saw him fall into a share of eighth, three shots off the play-off won by Richard Bland.
MacIntyre admits that Sunday was a case of one that got away but he is aiming to make it third time lucky in the Midlands.
"100 per cent," he said when asked if he had a real chance of victory in 2021. "Last year I feel like it got away from me. We pushed at probably the wrong times, that tenth hole, sucker. Sucked me in a wee bit and we attacked it.
It's a great venue to be competing at and I'm ready to get going
"This year we've looked at some stats and how we used to play holes and we'll rein it back."
The fans are back at The Belfry this week after being absent in 2021 and MacIntyre is looking forward to playing days one and two alongside local favourite Lee Westwood.
"It's brilliant," he said. "Brilliant to be back in Britain.
"The course is playing longer than it was last year. I'm not sure what's happened, I think there's a couple of new tees that are getting used. Last year we had bad weather and some tees had to be moved up.
"It's a great venue to be competing at and I'm ready to get going.
Just two Scots taking on the Belfry 🏴📸😁@jmcginn7 🤜🤛 @robert1lefty #BetfredBritishMasters🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/sGisou0K3E
— British Masters (@british_masters) May 4, 2022
"I think down here this week, they will be following Lee Westwood rather than Bob MacIntyre but it's always good."
MacIntyre has made himself a fan favourite with his honesty and his down-to-earth persona and, despite having someone bid £12,000 to play with him at a charity dinner hosted by countryman Stephen Gallacher last week, he is still staying grounded.
"I get when you do well in sport, especially, the recognition that you get," said MacIntyre, who teed it up in the pro-am on Wednesday with Scotland international footballer John McGinn.
"I'm out there playing with John McGinn, I was nervous today playing with him and when you get talking to him, he is nervous to play with me or play in events. It's just different.
"People think you're something that you're not. They expect you to be something special. But at the end of the day, we use the same toilet."
