The Open: Hot mics catch Robert MacIntyre complaining about "s--- golf hole"

Robert MacIntyre started the 154th Open Championship well but couldn't hide his frustration at the 18th. 

The Scot posted a solid three-under 67 on day one of the final men's major of the year at Royal Birkdale. 

His round contained four birdies, one bogey and 13 pars. 

It left him one shot off early pacesetters Sungjae Im and Daniel Brown before the afternoon wave headed out. 

MacIntyre was his usual fiery self and his round contained several highs and lows.

A low point came on the 18th and he made no attempt to hide his frustration. 

He found the fairway with his tee shot but hooked his approach from 242 yards into the rough next to the green.  

Hot mics picked up MacIntyre telling his caddie: "Such a s--- golf hole, innit? It really is."

Luckily for MacIntyre, his foul mood wasn't exacerbated as he managed to escape with a par. 

Take a look at the clip here:

While that may not be entirely egregious, it represents yet another incident likely to attract criticism of MacIntyre.

MacIntyre drew the ire of Augusta National officials during the 2026 Masters Tournament. 

He directed a middle finger towards the 15th green after making a disastrous quadruple-bogey nine in the first round. 

MacIntyre was reprimanded for his behaviour. 

When he addressed the incident a few weeks later he didn't apologise, insisting that he was unlikely to change.

He told BBC Sport that during the first major of the season he had "a lot going on back home" and he was working with someone to improve his behaviour.

MacIntyre was referring to the fact he and his partner Shannon welcomed the birth of their first child Findlay. 

"I know what I did isn't the best way of me doing things, but I wear my heart on my sleeve," MacIntyre said.

MacIntyre wasn't asked why he doesn't like the 18th hole after his round. 

Instead, he reiterated his claim that he would happily walk away from the game of golf if he won a major championship.

"I'll openly say it," he said. "I'll say it until I'm blue in the face.

"Yeah, it would be all my goals that I ever dreamed of complete if I done that, but there's a long way to go. 

"Look, you've got four chances every year. I'm hoping to play the game for some ten years and a good effort after that."

MacIntyre also explained that Royal Birkdale was an incredibly difficult test. 

"It's a grind," he said. "It's one of the hardest links courses I've ever played just for the sheer fact of the positions of the pot bunkers on certain holes with the length of the hole.

"Someone is going to stand up there and smash driver on the golf course and could potentially get away with it, but it could switch the other way. 

"It's the same for me. I could go play and play the same way I did and make three bogeys on the long holes. 

"I'm having to hit a longer club in because I'm trying to stay out of them pot bunkers.

"It's part of the game. I'm just playing it my way and did a decent job today."