Bob MacIntyre has never done things the unconventional way. He grew up in Oban, Scotland, a coastal town of around 8,000 people, and learned to compete in shinty long before he took up serious golf. His upbringing built something that has proven hard to shake: a clear sense of what he is playing for and what he is not. When golfers were deeply enticed with Saudi-backed money, MacIntyre was one of the few who chose not to join. In a recent cover interview, he was asked about one of the sport’s most divisive chapters. His answer was as direct as expected.

“I voiced my opinion early on that the money was obscene,” he said. “How much does a human need? The more I’ve sat back and thought, the more I understand why certain guys went/some timed it beautifully. Some guys, I think, made crazy decisions. To each his own.”

In 2024, after struggling to settle in the United States, he stepped away and returned to Scotland to reconnect with family and friends. Within months, he came back a different player, winning both the RBC Canadian Open and the Genesis Scottish Open, becoming only the second Scot to win twice in a single PGA Tour season. He now sits inside the world’s top 20. Throughout it all, he has remained clear about what drives him, and money is not at the center of it.

When LIV Golf launched in 2022, it did not arrive quietly. It reshaped the sport with unprecedented financial offers. Dustin Johnson was reportedly paid $150 million, Ian Poulter was offered around $30 million, and Phil Mickelson’s deal was estimated at $200 million. The scale of those numbers changed the landscape overnight and helps explain why opinions across the game remain so divided.

When asked why he turned down the move, his answer was simpler than expected.

“I didn’t want to compromise my dream,” he said. “My dream was to play Ryder Cups. I’ve done that,” he said. “I’ve only got one dream left, and that’s winning a major. Once I do that, I could happily walk away the next day.”

MacIntyre earned his place on the 2023 European team by finishing third on the qualifying points list. At Marco Simone, he went undefeated, taking 2.5 points from three matches as a rookie. He followed that by qualifying again for 2025 at Bethpage, finishing second on the points list and helping Europe to a 15–13 win, their first away victory since 2012.

For all its financial power, LIV Golf could not offer him a Ryder Cup. Golfers who joined the league risked losing their DP World Tour membership and, with it, a pathway to Europe’s team. MacIntyre was clear that he was not willing to make that trade.

His scores on the leaderboard reinforce the decision beyond just his principles. In 2025 alone, he earned more than $10 million across the PGA Tour and DP World Tour combined, the most lucrative season of his career.

“The money we are playing for on the PGA Tour is still extraordinary,” he said.

MacIntyre reached the Tour Championship for the second consecutive year and finished runner-up at the U.S. Open in Oakmont, where he briefly held the clubhouse lead before J. J. Spaun holed a 64-footer on 18 to edge him out. So the major that he wants and dreams of is not so far away.

Furthermore, not switching to LIV has not cost him any relationships either. He mentioned that he has a good relationship with his European teammate, Tyrell Hatton, who joined LIV. Hatton is someone he feels comfortable reaching out to at any time.

With that said, Bob MacIntyre is not the only young European star to turn down LIV Golf. Ludvig Åberg made that decision even before turning professional.

Another PGA Tour player made a similar LIV Golf call twice

In the spring of 2022, while still at Texas Tech, Ludvig Aberg turned down a two-year LIV Golf offer reportedly worth $2.5 million. At the time, he had no professional wins, no Tour card, and no certainty about what came next. He declined and returned to college. By September, he had risen to No. 1 in the amateur world rankings.

When asked about his decision not to join LIV, his reasoning closely mirrored Bob MacIntyre’s.

“There were several red flags,” he said. “We realized I could potentially burn a lot of bridges, and I wasn’t interested in that. When I look back, I’m very confident in my decisions. I will never chase money. What I do is compete. I did the right thing.”

Aberg won on the DP World Tour, and was selected as a captain’s pick by Luke Donald for the 2023 Ryder Cup before even playing a major. At Marco Simone, he went 2–2 as Europe secured a 16.5–11.5 victory. He later added a PGA Tour win at the RSM Classic. LIV approached him again, and he declined a second time. His reasoning remained consistent.

“I want to play against the best because I’m a competitive person,” he said. “When I look at the PGA Tour and the competition there, there is so much history.”

At the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage, Aberg was the only European player to win his singles match, defeating Patrick Cantlay on the final day, while being part of the same winning team as MacIntyre. Though they experienced different moments during the tournament, both players faced the same offer and made a similar decision. In a sport that has long asked which side players would choose, both Aberg and MacIntyre answered that question wisely and similarly.