An emotional Robert MacIntyre broke through with his maiden European Tour win at the new format Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown, thanks to a brilliant 64 on Sunday. Pictures by GETTY IMAGES

SCOTLAND’S Robert MacIntyre claimed an emotional maiden European Tour title at the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown.

A seven-under par final round 64 earned the Scot a one-stroke victory in a thrilling finale to the European Tour’s ground-breaking shoot-out .

Tears welled up as the 14th different first-time winner of the 2020 European Tour season spoke to Sky’s Tim Barter.

He later revealed he had “struggled mentally” ever since the first lockdown brought the European Tour to a halt back in March.

An emotional MacIntyre said: “This is what I’ve been working for. It’s been a difficult few months for me.

“Only my family know what’s going on. I can’t believe it. My game is there, tee-to-green I’ve been absolutely brilliant the last two weeks.

“The putter has been cold, stone cold,” said Robert, who finished two shots outside of last week’s play-off in the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open, on the same course won by Hertfordshire’s Callum Shinkwin.

MacIntyre, from Oban, admitted it took a change in outlook to finally get over the line, playing in his 45th European Tour event – Colin Montgomerie took 57 events to claim his first victory.

The left-hander revealed: “I’ve done a lot of work in the last six months – not thinking about winning a golf tournament, just to play my golf.

“Last year, I was talking and thinking about winning golf tournaments when I was going down the back nine on a Sunday.

“But this year I’ve just tried to take my time and let it happen. What will happen will happen and it’s happened today.”

Robert MacIntyre plays his second shot into the 18th hole at Aphrodite Hills

Storm delay was chance to regroup

MacINTYRE had to put the metal to the floor to claim victory with a fast finish in Cyprus.

He was just a shot behind leaders Marcus Armitage, from Manchestter and Johannes Veerman, the American rookie looking for his breakthrough, win as he played the 12th, on three-under.

But as soon as he made a birdie three on the 13th, a storm moved in with the threat of lightning forcing the players off the course.

And when he returned less than an hour later, he missed a makeable putt on the driveable 14th for another three.

MacIntyre, who faced Conor Champ twice in the 2017 Walker Cup clash against an American team that also included PGA Champion Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler, revealed: “When the rain delay came in, I said to my caddie Mike: ‘It’s time to show up.’

“I hit a great iron shot into 15 and there it was. It turned up right at the right time. Mike did brilliantly too there.”

His tee shot on the 181-yard 17th came within inches of going in for an ace and minutes later he was celebrating victory on the 18th after a back-to-back birdie finish.

“It’s what I’ve dreamed of since being a wee kid watching Scottish Opens at Loch Lomond and to finally play on tour,” said MacIntyre, who lost the Amateur Championship final to Hampshire’s Scott Gregory in 2016.

MacIntyre, who turned pro after playing in the Walker Cup in Los Angeles three years ago, added: “I gave myself a lot of chances last year. This week’s format suited me and I took it.

“When that storm came in, I had good momentum. Then I missed a putt on 14th.

“But the seven-iron into 15 and the iron shot into 17 – I pulled it slightly but it was a perfect number and I just missed the hole.

“The 17th hole was huge, when I saw the scores.”

Runner-up Masahiro Kawamura recorded his best-ever finish on the European Tour at the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown

Kawamura’s fast finish was best yet on Tour

IT WAS just as well MacIntyre picked up three shots in his last four holes as Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura made four birdies on the back nine to post six-under as the clubhouse leader.

But 24-year-old MacIntyre carded eight birdies in the final showdown of the exciting new format, which saw all 19 players who had made it through to the final round start the day on level par in a sprint to the finish.

And with the lowest round of the day sealing victory, it was last year’s European Tour Rookie of the Year, who pocketed the cheque for €200,000.

It was a closely-fought contest until the final furlong but MacIntyre – who finished 11th place in last year’s Race to Dubai – almost holed a remarkable ace at the par three 17th.

He tapped in for birdie to take a share of the lead and then hit a fearless drive down the par five 18th.

Having hit the green – where Shinkwin made eagle to force a play-off on his way to his maiden win on the Mediterranean island seven days earlier, a simple two-putt earned MacIntyre his first victory as a professional.

The win elevated him from 57th to 24th in the 2020 Race to Dubai.

It also booked his ticket to next month’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, in Dubai – the fourth and final Rolex Series event of the campaign.

Kawamura earned the best European Tour finish of his career. The 2018 European Tour School graduate finished runner-up on six-under.

Spain’s Jorge Campillo finished in outright third sport on five-under thanks to an eagle on 18.

Armitage, who made seven on the last a week ago, made an expensive eight, which dropped him from a share of fourth down to 14th.

•Full results from the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown click here.

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SCOTLAND’S Robert MacIntyre capped a superb debut season on the European Tour by finishing tied 14th in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai to seal two prestigious awards.

The 23-year-old was named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award.

The Walker Cup player also picked up the Challenge Tour Graduate of the Year accolade after finishing 11th on the 2019 Race to Dubai.

MacIntyre said: “I’m absolutely delighted. Halfway through the season when it became on the radar that we could win both awards, it’s something that we set out to do.

“We’ve finally achieved it and now I’m absolutely over the moon for it.

“I’ve enjoyed the battle. The last few weeks have been hard because I’ve been looking over my shoulder until last week when I got overtaken.

“But I could only control what I can control and that was putting some good golf shots on display and I finally managed to put in two good rounds this week to seal it off.

“Family’s everything to us. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them giving up so much time.

“My dad works two jobs, my mum previously worked three, four jobs. Now she’s starting to cool it down a wee bit but that’s nice.

“It’s been down to them and they have given me the chance. Now I just thank them so much.”

MacIntyre emerged top of the class from a strong crop of rookies which included two multiple winners – American Kurt Kitayama (14th) and Italian Guido Migliozzi (40th), both of whom came through Qualifying School – and fellow Challenge Tour graduate Spaniard Adri Arnaus, who finished 41st.

MacIntyre – who lost in the 2016 Amateur Championship final to Hampshire’s Scott Gregory – recorded seven top 10 finishes in 30 appearances on the European Tour in 2019.

They included three runners-up – in the Made in Denmark, Betfred British Masters and Porsche European Open.

The Oban-based ace also impressed in his Major Championship debut, finishing tied sixth in The Open at Royal Portrush.

•For the final Race to Dubai Rankings click here.

Koepka and Rahm: Challenge Tour’s greatest graduates

ROBERT MacIntyre became the 11th Scottish player to win the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year title since the European Tour’s inception in 1972 and the 12th overall.

Winning the prestigious award has laid the platform for some of the European Tour’s greatest careers, including this year’s Race to Dubai Champion Jon Rahm, who won the title two years ago.

Notable Scottish winners include Sam Torrance (1972), Sandy Lyle (1978) and Colin Montgomerie, who took the honour in 1988.

MacIntyre also became the seventh winner of the Challenge Tour Graduate of the Year, topping the list of 15 from the Class of 2018.

The left-hander finished 12th on the 2018 Road to Mallorca having finished runner-up twice last year.

MacIntyre played in the same Walker Cup team as Hampshire’s back-to-back Amateur Champions Scott Gregory and Harry Ellis, and their county boys team-mate Jack Singh-Brar, who kept his European Tour card, while Q-School graduate Gregory, lost his.

Previous winners of the Challenge Tour Graduate of Year are: Justin Walters (2013), Brooks Koepka (2014), Byeong Hun An (2015), Nacho Elvira (2016) Dylan Fritttelli (2017) and last year’s winner, Erik van Rooyen.

Koepka has won four Majors since then while An and Frittelli have both earned spots on the PGA Tour in the States.

•The other Scots to have won the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie awards were:– Mark Warren (2006); Scott Henderson (1997); Gary Orr (1993); Colin Montgomerie (1988); Gordon Brand Jnr (1982); Mike Miller (1979); Sandy Lyle (1978); Sam Torrance (1972); Bernard Gallacher (1968) and Robin Liddle (1966).

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Shubhankar Sharma is aiming to follow Justin Harding into the World’s top 50 when he defends his title this week. Picture courtesy of Maybank Championship

SHUBHANKAR Sharma is feeling relaxed about his Maybank Championship title defence, as the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year aims to build on a stellar debut season on the European Tour.

The 22 year old burst on to the scene with two early victories on the 2018 Race to Dubai, following up his maiden win at the Joburg Open with his biggest victory yet, coming from four shots back to take the title at Saujana Golf and Country Club.

With two trophies in his cabinet by early February, he cemented his status as Indian golf’s new rising star by playing in all four Major Championships and impressing on his World Golf Championships debut.

He famously lead the world-class WGC-Mexico Championship field by two shots going into the final round before posting an impressive top 10 finish.

Sharma said: “I have some very special memories from last year. It just feels like yesterday that I won here.

“I made that putt on 18 and was waiting in scorers for the rest of the field to finish.  It’s great to come back – it was my biggest win.

“I love the course here. I had a good finish the year before last when I finished top 10.

“I actually just love Malaysia as a country. I love the people and the heat doesn’t get to me, which is good.

“Hopefully I can draw on the good memories and play well this week.

“I definitely feel like I’ve become a better player from last year.

“Obviously I have more experience. I’ve played some of the biggest events in the world, I played in all of the Majors last year.

“In two of those Majors I was actually playing in front of Tiger, so the biggest crowds I have ever seen. It’s good that I’ve seen all of those situations.

“I’m much more relaxed now, but you don’t want to get too relaxed when you are playing. These are some of the best players in the world and you have to be 100 per cent.

“But I’ll definitely be more comfortable than I was last year playing in the marquee group.”

Sharma is joined in the field in this week’s co-sanctioned Maybank Championship by Jazz Janewattananond, another young player – who has impressed on both the European Tour and Asian Tour and has aspirations of challenging the best in the world in the near future.

The 23-year-old Thai claimed his third Asian Tour title at the Singapore Open in January to break into the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Jazz said: “I was fortunate to crack the top 100 this soon. It was always in the back of my mind to take the next step and get into the top 50.

“This is going to be a big week, if I can play good this week I have a chance of cracking the top 50 sooner.

“Seeing the likes of Justin Harding is very inspiring. We played a lot together last year. Now that he is in the top 50 he’ll have a better chance of getting into the Masters.

“To see someone close to you do that is very inspiring and it gives you a boost and confidence that you can do it too.

“I’m feeling really good. I had a couple of good finishes coming in to this week. It’s always nice to come back to Malaysia.

“I love this city, I love the skyline, I love the street food here. I’m enjoying myself out here and we’ll try to move that into the golf course as well.”

Janewattananond is aiming for a good finish this week to help propel him towards his next aim of following his friend and recent South Africa’s European Tour winner Justin Harding into the top 50.

Also teeing it up the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur this week are three-time Major winner and current European Ryder Cup Captain Padraig Harrington and his victorious predecessor Thomas Bjørn – as well as American Kurt Kitayama, who has emulated Sharma this year by racing to two European Tour victories in his rookie season.

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