When LIV Golf came calling, Robert MacIntyre had a number in mind, and it wasn't the one on the check.

The two-time PGA Tour winner at the RBC Canadian Open (2024) and the Genesis Scottish Open (2024), sat down with Golf Digest at Taymouth Castle in Perthshire and explained why he turned his back on LIV.

"Didn't want to compromise my dream," he said. "My dream was to play Ryder Cups. I've done that. I've only got one dream left, and that's winning a major."

He wasn't throwing shade at the guys who went, either. MacIntyre said early on he thought the money was flat-out excessive. LIV typically has a purse of about $20 million, with roughly $4 million going to the winner, as compared to PGA Tour events with around $8-9 million purse and $1.5-2 million to the winner.

"I voiced my opinion early on that the money was obscene. How much does a human need?" he said.

But he's since come around to understanding their reasons. Some timed it right, and some got it wrong; his words are not a judgment. Staying put on the PGA Tour was never really a question for him, though.

"The money we're playing for on the PGA Tour is still extraordinary," MacIntyre said. "I'm not on any boards; I'm not getting involved. I'm just going to get the ball in the hole in as few shots as I can every week and go back to Scotland."

Robert MacIntyre's Reasoning Behind Leaving Florida for Scotland

When LIV Golf drama was at its peak, MacIntyre left Florida and moved back to Oban in the West Highlands. It was not a golf decision. It was a life decision.

His mother and father live there. His sister’s three children are there too. According to the Scottish Daily Express, he and his partner Shannon also started their own family and welcomed their son, Findlay, earlier this year.

"Florida might be better for my game, but Scotland is better for my life," MacIntyre told Golf Digest. "And I think that mindset will help me have a better and more fulfilling career."

He came very close to winning the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont. Now, only one thing is left on his list: a major title.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav