With just six tournaments left on the regular schedule of the Sunshine Tour, the race for the title of rookie of the year is ever so tight.
Top of the class is David McIntyre; the 23-year-old player earned his playing privileges at Qualifying School, but struggled to get into the swing of things in the professional ranks.
Out of the 19 tournaments he’s played this season, McIntyre has made the cut only four times, a return which belies his ability as a competitor.
In the course of the season, McIntyre put together a couple of solid rounds to announce himself among the tough competitors on tour, such as the second-round 67 he shot at Selborne in the Vodacom Origins of Golf, the opening 69 at Zebula, as well as his first-round 66 in the South African Open hosted by the City of Joburg. He sits at the summit of the rookie of the year standings on account of his South African Open result, where he finished 29th.
‘It’s been a mixed bag for me,’ McIntyre said, referring to his indifferent results up to now.
‘It’s been a learning curve for me. A lot of downs and some ups, but for me, the 10% of ups I had, stands out.’
For one to improve, it is important to acknowledge one’s challenges so that one is able to address those and improve, a fact which hasn’t escaped McIntyre’s mind.
‘You have to learn every time,’ he said. ‘I know it’s cliché, but you have to trust your process. Stick to the process. For me, this has been a season to learn. Playing with Jake (Roos) and Zander (Lombard) at Zebula was one of my highlights because I learned so much from them.’
Learning, however, doesn’t mean having little or no ambition, and McIntyre’s ambition is very clear: to win the Bobby Locke Trophy.
‘I want to win it,’ he declared. ‘I want to win that trophy. And I want to finish in the top 50 in the Order of Merit. I can do it, because there are still some tournaments left in the season so I can still get into the top 50.’
He has some competition for the esteemed trophy, however, with Sweden’s Frederik From hot on his heels. A mere R32,230 separates the two players, while Estiaan Conradie, Louis Albertse, Ruan Conradie aren’t far off either.
The top 10 leading rookies list is completed by Canada’s Steven Lecuyer, Benjamin Follett-Smith of Zimbabwe, Italy’s Philip Geerts, Jacques P de Villiers and Ireland’s Tyler Hogarty.
