Robert MacIntyre should have gone further to apologise for Masters behaviour

I have a lot of time for Robert MacIntyre. I always look out for his scores and performances on the PGA Tour.

I was thrilled when he won the Canadian Open and admired his style when he returned home to Oban and threw the mother of all parties to celebrate. I struggled not to cry when he added the Scottish Open and tipped my hat to him at the sporting way he accepted last year’s US Open loss to J.J. Spaun.

But there is another side to the Scot. He is a fiery competitor with a foul mouth and the worst of him was on display for all the world to see during the first round of The Masters. At the 15th hole he dumped two balls in the water, produced a foul-mouthed outburst and a middle-finger gesture. It was childish, boorish and utterly classless. He also refused to speak to the media.

I accept that his fiery side is what makes him the competitor he is but there is a line and he crossed it. Full stop.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

When asked about his behaviour on the eve of the RBC Heritage, this is what he should have said: "My behaviour at The Masters was totally unacceptable and I unreservedly apologise to patrons, Augusta officials, TV broadcasters who caught my foul language and anybody else I may have offended. 

"I take my responsibilities as a role model seriously and I have learned a painful lesson and will do my best to improve."

That’s what he should have said. Instead, this is what came out of his mouth: "I know what I did isn't the best way of me doing things, but I wear my heart on my sleeve," MacIntyre told Sky Sports. 

"I'm trying my best to control the emotions - I work with someone back home. There was a lot going on and [I am] disappointed with that. I'm very good at putting things behind me, things that get said elsewhere don't faze me.

"I've got my family, friends and team, they are the ones I really listen to. If I've done something wrong, they'll tell me. That's how I go about life. I just do what I want, how we want, not just personally, but with my family and friends and we go about our business the way we want to do it. 

"Some people like it, some people don't, but at the end of the day it's a job and I come out here to perform the best I can."

So no apology for his behaviour then. I am struggling to believe that MacIntyre’s parents did not have something to say about his outburst. And if they did not then that perhaps goes a long way towards explaining it.

He will tell you differently but I believe it played on his mind at the RBC Heritage, where he started brightly but then looked out of sorts. Harbour Town Links is a course that requires patience and as such is probably not MacIntyre’s favourite track.

Matt Fitzpatrick was not exactly known for his calm approach but then he lost his game. He is now back to his very best and was able to go head to head with world number one Scottie Scheffler to win the Heritage for a second time. There is another lesson for the Scot to learn here.

I am not a fan of Sergio Garcia. Throughout his career he has behaved like a spoilt child and he also overstepped the mark at The Masters during the final round when he smashed a tee marker, hit a water cooler and broke his driver in yet another display of immaturity. But at least he had the decency to apologise.

Contrast this with what MacIntyre had to say: "I want to apologise for my actions on Sunday at the Masters tournament. I respect and value everything that The Masters and Augusta National Golf Club is ‌to golf.

"I regret the way I acted and it has no place in our game. It doesn't reflect the respect and appreciation I ‌have for The Masters, the patrons, tournament officials ‌and golf fans around the world."

Geoff Yang, chairman of the Masters competitions committee, issued a code-of-conduct warning and that is now the end of the matter. But there is speculation that MacIntyre may be punished by not being invited back next year. That almost certainly will not happen but the Scot needs to realise that his every move on the course and his very utterance is followed by TV cameras and the example he is setting is nothing short of shocking. 

Grow up please Robert. I fear that if you don’t then you are going to alienate golf spectators all over the world. Sorry really isn’t the hardest word!