“I Was Struggling To Eat:” European Star Gets Candid After Stressful Run at THE PLAYERS Championship

Mar 16, 2026, 4:08 AM CUT

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Robert MacIntyre secured a top-five finish at THE PLAYERS Championship. But the Scot revealed the intense pressure took a significant physical toll.

Talking to the media at TPC Sawgrass, MacIntyre said, “It was stressful. I was actually struggling to eat early in the back nine. It's where I want to compete.”

With a score of 10-under 278 (72, 72, 65, 69), Robert MacIntyre finished fourth at THE PLAYERS Championship. But his second top-five finish this season was pretty stressful.

He was bidding to become the first Scot to win THE PLAYERS Championship after Sandy Lyle. Unfortunately, a couple of bogeys on the 14th and 16th spoiled his expectations.

“Coming into that back nine, middle of that back nine I really thought I was in with a shout,” he continued. “The way I'm playing, driving it beautifully, putting unbelievable, it was just a matter of getting that ball inside 30 feet and then look out. Yeah, just disappointed with the bogeys on the back nine to finish, but yeah, I gave it a shot.”

In the last season, the Scot secured the ninth position at THE PLAYERS Championship. It was a “wake-up call” for him, following which he knew that he could compete at the top. And he had that chance at the final stretch on TPC Sawgrass this time.

But what does he think of his performance from last weekend?

Robert MacIntyre Weighs In on His Performance on the Final Stretch at THE PLAYERS Championship

MacIntyre exited the 16th with a sour taste, especially after making a birdie on the previous hole. But things got exciting by the last couple of holes.

He said, “It’s a sore one right now, but yeah, 17 and 18 we still played aggressively but smart. That was the caddie’s words... I was wanting to go straight at that pin on 17, just throw the dice at it. But at the end of the day, it’s a good week. I wouldn’t have wanted to walk off there with a bogey on 16, a double on 17, and then probably a bogey on 18 with my head off. Overall, decent week, just with a chance.”

Of course, it would have been the greatest victory of his career. But fate had different plans. Now, the question is whether he can maintain this momentum in the Masters Tournament coming up in three weeks.

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar