Confident MacIntyre eyes Open Championship glory

Confident MacIntyre eyes Open Championship gloryImage source, SNSImage caption, Robert MacIntyre will play Royal Birkdale for the first time competitivelyByBrian McLauchlinBBC Sport Scotland Senior ReporterPublishedJust nowScotland's number one Robert MacIntyre believes he is a much improved golfer from the one who teed up at his first Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019.That was MacIntyre's debut appearance at a major and he finished sixth behind home favourite Shane Lowry.Since then, the 29-year-old has become a top 20 player in the world rankings and heads into this week's tournament after finishing third at the Scottish Open."In 2019, I felt like I was just being part of the tournament," MacIntyre said. "I was making up the numbers. I was just seeing how well I could do in this event. "Whereas now, I come here and I know that if I play well, I've got a chance to win."That's all I'm trying to do. If I play the golf I know I can play, I'm going to have a chance to win come Sunday - and that's the difference."In 2019, I didn't know how good I was. I didn't know how good I could be. I was just playing with zero expectation and had a good finish. "Now there's an expectation and demand on me, but it's not pressure. I know if I play well, I'll have a chance."The Open Championship tee-times: Rounds one and twoPublished1 day agoTears of joy & Tiger text as Kim ends three-year title waitPublished2 days agoThe two-time European Ryder Cup player is making his first visit to Royal Birkdale and says it comes as no surprise the course will provide a stern test this week.He believes the hot weather, combined with strong winds, has left the fairways running fast."I played nine holes, the back nine, on Monday afternoon in strong winds and it was brutal," he added. "It's tough but I've had a bit more time to work it out since then, so we...