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MacIntyre Warned After Driver Smash, Finishes One-Over

7/20/2026

Summary

MacIntyre Warned

Robert MacIntyre was warned after slamming his driver on the 16th hole at Royal Birkdale.
He finished with a one-over 71, a shot behind the leaders, after opening three under par and posting back-to-back 71s that dropped him from contention.
He accepted the warning and said occasional outbursts are part of his game.
He will take a three-week break before returning for the PGA Tour’s closing stages.

Summary

MacIntyre Sanctioned

The R&A said MacIntyre’s sanction is the fourth warning in four majors this season.
Jon Rahm was warned after throwing a club on Friday’s second round.
Joaquín Niemann was penalised two strokes by USGA for a club-throwing incident at the U.S. Open.
The majors’ governing bodies pledged tighter on-course behaviour standards in a clean-up initiative, a stance highlighted by MacIntyre’s indifferent reply that underscores tension between player emotion and enforcement.

History

Historical Context

The PGA of America was founded in 1916 with 78 charter members, but a 1968 dispute over revenue led touring pros to form an independent PGA Tour, which by the mid-1970s ran its own events such as the 1976 Tournament Players Championship won by Jack Nicklaus. That autonomy created the conduct framework that today’s R&A and USGA applied to MacIntyre’s warning at Royal Birkdale.

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MacIntyre Warned

Robert MacIntyre was warned after slamming his driver on the 16th hole at Royal Birkdale.
He finished with a one-over 71, a shot behind the leaders, after opening three under par and posting back-to-back 71s that dropped him from contention.
He accepted the warning and said occasional outbursts are part of his game.
He will take a three-week break before returning for the PGA Tour’s closing stages.

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