David Cannon/Getty Images
MacIntyre plays a shot during the Pro-Am at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on the Majlis Course at The Emirates Golf Club on January 22, 2020.

By Kent Gray
If Bob MacIntyre makes it to the 10th tee by 12.40pm on Thursday, don’t be surprised if the old “beware the injured golfer’ adage gets a run at this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

A hand injury that flared up towards the end of his charge to European Tour rookie-of-the-year honours last season forced the Scottish lefty to delay his 2020 bow in Abu Dhabi last week. But after surviving Wednesday’s Pro-Am, the former MENA Tour winner has given himself the green light to go for his maiden tour win after seven top-10 finishes in 2019.

“If I played last week, I was going to finish close to last. It’s just as simple as that. I couldn’t compete,” the 23-year-old said.

“If I can’t compete, I won’t play. There’s no point. I’m not here just to make up the numbers. Whereas this week, I feel that I can go out there and give it enough go.”

A booming 325 yard drive on the Majlis’ par-5 18th in the Pro-Am impressed at least one journalist but for MacIntyre it has been more about whether his injured hand can take the punishment sure to be dished out by the lush rough this week.

“My big test was hitting shots that were hurting me… and the real test was going to be in the rough. I had to test it. If it hurt, I wasn’t going to play, and I just had to accept it. So I went in the deep end, just hit it and if it hurt; but no, it’s been grand.”

MacIntyre wasn’t part of last year’s field but has seen enough of Emirates Golf Club to know what to expect.

“It’s an absolute brutal test. You’ve got to keep the ball in the fairway. If you don’t, you’ll probably be home early.

“If you drive it well, if you play well, you score well. I see that like any golf course, but this week there’s a premium on driving the golf ball, and that’s hopefully where my game’s at.”