Jay Monahan’s ‘Lonely’ & ‘Unfamiliar’ PGA Tour Lets Down Golfer Yet Again as Unexpected Struggles Strike

Robert MacIntyre’s stay on the American subcontinent had been filled with various ups and downs. The Oban native was one of the 10 European League members to get his PGA Tour membership last year, and in the 2024 season, Bob has been trying to carve his name on the American circuit. It has been anything but difficult.

3,000 miles away from his home and the DP World Tour, MacIntyre found the PGA Tour to be “lonely” and how playing on the Tour was “all so unfamiliar” for a European golfer. Then too, MacIntyre highlighted the lack of a friendly environment on the PGA Tour. Bob reiterated his points and expressed once again that almost all the DP World Tour pros struggled in the Jay Monahan-led league.

Although he was not complaining about the Tour, MacIntyre stated a drastic difference between the two. He expressed that on the European side, the competition was only on the course, while off the course, it was more friendly, and people always stuck together when traveling to different continents. He said that on the PGA Tour, “it’s just a different environment,” and the players have to rely more on themselves.

Meanwhile, the PGA Tour did not transform into the welcoming league MacIntyre had hoped for, and the Tour failed to resolve another issue he faced. The 27-year-old revealed that, despite his visa issues, Ryan Fox helped him out instead of the PGA Tour and its management.

Robert MacIntyre narrates the visa issue and how Ryan Fox helped

MacIntyre would not have been able to play the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, let alone any PGA Tour events after that. Why so? The 27-year-old recounted his experience of not receiving his P1 visa until that moment. MacIntyre recalled that he was flying back from his hometown to play at the Zurich Classic. And since he found the connecting flights in America to be hectic, he took a connecting flight through Dublin, Ireland.

The officers stopped the Oban native there and informed him that he could not enter America. The 27-year-old said, “My P-1 visa had not been granted, and it was there that I didn’t think I was getting into America.” Fortunately enough, MacIntyre was waived entry into the country as he informed them that all his documents relating to the visa were in Orlando. He was let go with a warning, as MacIntyre remembered, “The next time you leave America, you cannot re-enter until you’ve got your P-1 visa.”

For the RBC Canadian Open, MacIntyre left the USA but still didn’t have his visa. He explained that if he had to play the June 03 U.S. Open qualifier in Ontario and then fly back, he wouldn’t have been able to. However, Ryan Fox came to his rescue. Instead of the PGA Tour’s assistance, Fox had a connection in Canada to resolve MacIntyre’s visa problems. The Oban native appreciatively said, “Ryan’s been a great help to me, especially going through the visa process,” as he received it on Tuesday for the RBC Canadian Open.

Robert MacIntyre’s visa issues have been resolved for the time being, but will the PGA Tour ever become the league that makes the European pro rely on it better?