Robert MacIntyre waged a four-hour battle against inevitability. Through 17 holes on Sunday, the Scotsman fought despite a wayward driver that repeatedly forced him into scramble mode, watching his four-stroke advantage dissolve into a two-shot deficit. To his credit, MacIntyre kept the outcome uncertain—at least in appearance. But while the competitor in him admirably refused to concede, the thing about fate is it cannot be changed.

The confirmation came at the 17th hole. From just off the green in the rough, Scottie Scheffler's birdie chip sailed over a ridge, tracked toward the pin, and found nothing but the bottom of the cup. Scheffler responded with a subdued fist pump before exchanging high-fives with temporary caddie Mike Cromie. MacIntyre watched in stunned resignation, learning w

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