Robert MacIntyre posted his worst opening round at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in an up-and-down season: 15 of 18 cuts made but not a single win. The 30-year-old had shown flashes of brilliant performances, but cold stretches kept his season inconsistent. On Thursday, the pattern took its most jarring turn yet.
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PGA Tour Communications confirmed on X that “Robert MacIntyre WD prior to the second round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship.” The Scot had arrived in Memphis ranked 31st on the FedExCup standings with 1,191 points. He was comfortably inside the top 50 needed to advance in the playoffs.
MacIntyre’s withdrawal because of a knee injury came a day after he posted a disastrous 12-over-82 at TPC South. His round said it all: three double bogeys on holes 4, 15, and 18, a triple bogey on 6, and a birdie on 16. He finished last in the 69-man field, eight shots behind the next-worst score.
MacIntyre found water four times during the round, including while teeing off at the 18th. Statistically, he ranked last in the field off the tee and second worst in both approach play and putting.
The FedEx St. Jude Championship marks MacIntyre’s first start since a T28 finish at the Open Championship in July. He withdrew from the Wyndham Championship as he was safe in the FedEx Cup standings. Beyond that, his season has been a mixed bag. He started his season with a T4 at the Sony Open in Hawaii and a T2 at the Valero Texas Open. Since then, he rarely caught momentum. He missed the cut at the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the Memorial Tournament, followed by a T39 at the U.S. Open and a T28 at the Open Championship.
This isn’t the first time a poor position has coincided with MacIntyre’s withdrawal. He pulled out midway through the third round of the 2024 BMW Championship, citing a lower back issue. At that point, he sat 14 shots off the lead. The pattern hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans, and it has fueled Thursday’s reaction online.
One user commented, “Ramifications? Which wrist are you going to slap? Right or left?”
They jabbed at the 2024 exit from the BMW Championship only after his tournament chances had effectively ended.
Another wrote, “Clown move. Guess that’s what happens when you go +12 in Round 1.”
Fans called him out for playing the worst round of his career and not trying to improve.
One more called him out, “Shoots 82, immediately WD’s, what a shock.”
While another said, “Just when he got into contention.”
The FedEx St. Jude stumble won’t end MacIntyre’s playoff run. He’s projected to remain safely inside the top 50 and advance to next week’s BMW Championship. But questions about his fitness and about the timing of his exits will follow him to Castle Pines.