Colin Montgomerie has offered some sage advice to rising Scottish star Robert MacIntyre: sometimes, the best way to chase greatness is to simply let it find you.
The 29-year-old MacIntyre enters this week's US PGA Championship in Pennsylvania with his sights set on that elusive first major title. He came agonizingly close last summer at the US Open in Oakmont, finishing as runner-up in a performance that had the golf world buzzing. But the road since then has been bumpy.
At last month's Masters, MacIntyre missed the cut and found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. His on-course frustration boiled over with a middle finger gesture toward the 15th green, a club slammed into the ground after a poor shot on 17, and language that microphones picked up all too clearly. It was a stark contrast to the poised competitor we saw at Oakmont.
Enter Montgomerie, the eight-time European Tour Order of Merit winner, who knows a thing or two about handling pressure on the biggest stages. Speaking while promoting this summer's Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Trump International in Aberdeen, the 62-year-old Scot offered a gentle but pointed perspective.
"It is the way he is—there is fire in his belly, and he wants to be good and win," Montgomerie said. "That's important, not to lose that. But at the same time, he's forcing it, and to force it at Augusta or these majors where it is the ultimate test is very difficult."
The advice from the veteran? Patience. "If I am giving him any advice at all, I would love to say to him, 'Just let it happen, let it breathe, be patient.' I am sure if he does that, success will come."
Montgomerie believes MacIntyre's game is already major-ready. "After his fantastic performance at the US Open last year, where he was a putt away from winning, I think he is probably trying a little bit too hard. If he can just let that talent shine through, he has every opportunity of winning a major. That would be great for Scottish and European golf."
The numbers back him up. Currently ranked world number 12, MacIntyre has the tools: his short game is superb, his chipping and putting are elite. And as any golf fan knows, that's where majors are won and lost.
MacIntyre himself acknowledges his hot temper is "part of who I am," but as he tees off at this week's PGA Championship, the question isn't whether he has the game—it's whether he can let it happen.
For Scottish golf fans, and for anyone who loves seeing raw talent mature into greatness, the hope is that Montgomerie's words land. Because when a talent like MacIntyre learns to breathe, the results could be unforgettable.