04 October 2023 , 22:01
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Justin Rose has been hailed by his partner Robert MacIntyre, after the Scottish star admitted he was left "almost crying" ahead of his first tee shot at the Ryder Cup.
MacIntyre was one of four rookies competing for Team Europe against their American rivals, but his debut week was made much easier thanks to the help of Rose. The Englishman was competing in his sixth Ryder Cup and played alongside MacIntyre in the fourball sessions across both days.
The mix of youth and experience proved to be a strong move by captain Luke Donald, as the pair secured one-and-a-half-points across their two matches on day one and two.
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The first tee shot at a Ryder Cup is one of the most nerve-wrecking in professional golf, and despite the concerns, the Scot was helped along the way by Rose. "He seen I was nervous. I was almost crying walking off the range," MacIntyre said at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this week.
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"But when we had done all the TV cameras and all that, he comes over put his arm around me and goes, 'Everything is going to be all right. This will be over in two-and-a-half minutes.' He was brilliant. He's so experienced. He kept me calm. He trusted me. He believed in me. Even though I was terrible on the green on Friday."
Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre formed a strong partnership (Getty Images)MacIntyre also hailed Rose after his partner sang his praises to Donald, seemingly persuading him to give the 27-year-old a second chance on Saturday. "I think he spoke to Luke and said, 'He's close,'" MacIntyre added. "And I felt that tee-to-green
"I was solid. I was never out of a hole. I was never making a disaster. I was almost allowing him to be more aggressive because he was playing so good. Then Saturday, he just kept believing in me. I still had not made a putt for 12 holes, and I stood on 13, and he was trying to help me read the putt. I was like, 'Justin, it's all right. I got this one.' And once I holed that, he put his arm around me and was like, that's what it's all about.
"We fight together. He was incredible the whole week. He was someone that I knew I got along with, but I mean, I know him on a different level." Despite the nervy start, the DP World Tour star enjoyed an impressive week, after going unbeaten and winning two-and-a-half points for his team. He capped off his week by defeating U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark in Sunday's singles.