MacIntyre plays through knee cyst to reach the Tour Championship

Robert MacIntyre arrived at Bellerive Country Club 36th in the FedEx Cup standings, needing to reach the top 30 by Sunday evening and carrying a knee injury that had already ended his previous tournament. He shot 65, tied for seventh, and finished the week 25th.

What is wrong with Robert MacIntyre's knee?

He confirmed after the round that the problem is a Baker's cyst on the back of his right knee, picked up playing shinty at home in Scotland. He described the pain as something like being stabbed at the bottom of the hamstring, and said it flares when he squats to read a putt or after a long practice session — awkward for a player who had been putting in long hours precisely because his game was in good shape. Withdrawing in Memphis after an opening 82 was, on his account, a decision to rest for this week rather than a reaction to the score.

Sports movies and a calmer week

MacIntyre's temper has cost him before; he was warned about his on-course conduct at both the Masters and the Open Championship. His method for keeping level this week was unglamorous. He stayed in a house on his own and watched an encouraging sports film every night — “Rudy” and “The Rookie” among them — to reinforce that what he was doing was working. “I suppose it worked,” he said. A bogey at the fourth threatened to unpick it, and his caddie talked him out of the mood before it took hold.

Six birdies followed. For a player who was out of the field entirely eight days ago, the swing is substantial: a season that looked finished in Memphis now runs another week, with a place in the 30-man field at East Lake.