Nedbank Golf Challenge Power Rankings
By Matt Coles
The odds-on favourite for the Graduate of the Year prize on the European Tour in 2019 is Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who has burst onto the golfing scene this season.
He made that breakthrough with a terrific T6 finish at the 148th British Open Championship at Royal Portrush, one of several top ten performances this year.
He also started the season with a pair of T15 finishes in Africa, at the South African Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship, before then also reaching the top 20 at the Magical Kenya Open in March.
MacIntyre then had a pair of runner-up finishes in May, as he finished joint 2nd at the Betfred British Masters, before a solo 2nd result at the Made in Denmark Open two weeks later.
Although he is yet to secure his maiden victory on the European Tour, the Scot had made a big impression, and three more top 20 finishes in his last five tournaments have seen him make the move into the top ten on the Race to Dubai standings.
He sits in 9th, thanks to good results at the Porsche European Open, Italian Open and the WGC-HSBC Champions, his debut on the World Golf Championships stage.
This could be a good week for MacIntyre to secure his first win, and if he does, he could become one of the favourites to win the Race to Dubai in three weeks’ time.