'It'll be loud' - MacIntyre ready for taunts

BMW PGA Championship

Venue: Wentworth, Surrey Dates: 11-14 September

BBC coverage: Live text and radio commentary of rounds three and four, followed by TV highlights from 19:00 BST on Saturday and Sunday, 13 and 14 September

Robert MacIntyre has no fears about taking abuse from Team USA fans at the Ryder Cup in New York this month.

The 29-year-old from Oban, who will be playing in his second Ryder Cup, has been the subject of jibes from US fans when playing on the PGA Tour but says he has learned how to cope when it comes his way.

Last year, MacIntyre taunted his American hosts at the Valspar Championship in Florida by labelling his caddie's bib with Europe's Ryder Cup-winning score.

"I'll probably be getting abuse from my 12, 13 mates that are out there and all, so no, it's going to be fun," MacIntyre said.

"It's going to be loud, it's going to be entertaining, but yeah, I'm looking forward to it."

He added: "For me, going into this one, I feel far more comfortable. I feel far more comfortable in the people, in the team, the players, the staff. I know them far better.

"I just can't wait to get there and give it our best and try to keep that Ryder Cup in Europe.

"I feel like I'm excited to be here. When you can be excited to play (...) it's a massive help because you're not scared to do the graft."

MacIntyre's rise in world golf over the past few years has made him one of the most recognisable figures in the game.

Last year he managed to win twice, with the Scottish Open victory at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian the standout.

And that success has carried on into this season with six top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. Having started the year in 14th in the world rankings, he has now moved up to ninth position and is the first Scot to reach the top 10 since Colin Montgomerie in 2005.

"It has been a great year," he told BBC Scotland. "The only thing I've not done is win. I've done a lot of things this year, I feel I've progressed massively in the game of golf.

"One of my main goals this year was to really compete in a major. I feel I competed in three of them till almost the end.

"PGA, I didn't. After two rounds, I was in a great position. Didn't finish it off. Obviously, US Open was a close call. The Open, I was still in there with a chance.

"The year's been a massive improvement from a whole perspective but statistically, I'm just getting better. As golfers, we can just ask for just that little bit better every year."

He added: "There's things that aren't 100% in golf because you still need a life. I think I've got a good balance of that."