David Burns (53) coaches up at Kingsfield Golf and first crossed paths with the Oban native three years ago and they immediately clicked.
Since then they’ve been a formidable team and they’re reaping the rewards of the hard work and time invested into practice, as MacIntyre (22) finished sixth in his first major event after carding a 68 on the final day for a five-under par finish.
And it was a double celebration for Burns, as another one of his young protege’s Ruben Lindsay (15) clinched the Scottish Boys Amateur Championship with a one-up matchplay win over Longniddry’s Cameron Gallagher.
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Burns told the Journal and Gazette: “That’s what made it a great weekend. He won the Scottish Boys Amateur Matchplay on the same weekend as the Open result.
“It didn’t surprise me but I was overjoyed. When you work with somebody you get an attachment. It’s phenomenal feeling, a coach at any level has to get a buzz even from getting someone from 24 to 18 handicap.
“If you don’t get a buzz from people improving you shouldn’t be coaching simple as that.
In MacIntyre’s case, he said; “Normally at 22-year-old, your first year, you’re desperate to keep your card and if you do that it is a phenomenal year. To do what he has done is just incredible. I don’t think there is a limit to how far he can go.”
Burns had a promising future in golf as a youngster, playing off scratch at 16-year-old before health problems derailed his golfing career, when he suffered mercury poisoning from tooth fillings he had, and was forced to take a 14-year break from the game.
However, he says being back coaching is as good as it gets.
He said: “Every golfer’s dream is to be a Tour player but for me teaching at this level is as good as it can ever be behind that.
“It’s been a strange golfing life for me, I was good when I was very young then I was out of the game completely and basically struggling to get by life in general. So to get myself sorted out health wise and to be back where I am now, sometimes I have to pinch myself.”