Oban’s Robert MacIntyre has secured a place in the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational ahead of his involvement in next week’s PGA Championship.
MacIntyre received confirmation of his spot at this week’s tournament on Sunday, after moving into the field when Tiger Woods announced he was sitting out the WGC tournament earlier in the weekend.
MacIntyre was forced to wait until the conclusion of the PGA Tour’s 3M Open in Minnesota however, as any player moving into the world top 50 on the strength of that event would have automatically qualified ahead of the 23-year-old.
Having now been assured of his place MacIntyre has travelled to Memphis, with this week’s tournament preparing him for the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco next week.
MacIntyre, who is ranked 81st in the world, had already been in America after opting to sit out the British Masters at Close House in order to undergo the 14-day quarantine in America required for him to play in next week’s major.
It will be MacIntyre’s second major outing, with last year’s European Tour rookie of the year having already secured a place at the US Open at Winged Foot in September.
This year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship has been cancelled due to the difficulties involved in staging the event safely within coronavirus restrictions.
The event had been due to take place from October 1-4, in what would have been the 20th anniversary since it was first held in 2001.
Organisers have cited the difficulty in safely staging the tournament due to its “size and complexity” as being a major factor in the decision to call it off until September 30 to October 3 next year.
The tournament takes place across three venues – the Old Course at St Andrews, the Championship Course at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.
The event comprises of two separate competitions, with an individual professional tournament, along with a team championship, in which professionals are paired with amateur players.
A spokesperson for the Championship Committee said: “This is a real disappointment for ourselves and for all golf lovers, especially those that appreciate links golf. Alfred Dunhill has been supporting golf at the Home of Golf and in Scotland for 35 years, initially with the Alfred Dunhill Cup and for the past 19 years with the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
“We commend the Scottish Government in their resolute response to the pandemic. We do not wish to undermine their efforts or cause any undue risk to the communities that normally host us. Given the international nature of the event and in particular our large amateur field we felt that this was the prudent decision to take.
“The size and complexity of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, played over three courses with 168 professionals and 168 amateurs, makes it very difficult to stage safely within the current guidelines given the uncertainties we are all facing.
“Regrettably, therefore, we have decided to postpone the 20th Alfred Dunhill Links Championship to 2021, but very much look forward to returning next year.”
