Leftie MacIntyre turns pro and will make debut on MENA Tour before Q School                  
 NEWS RELEASE
Robert MacIntyre has turned professional and will start the new chapter in his career with two outings on the MENA Tour.
The 21-year-old left-hander is making the switch on the back of a successful amateur career, which concluded with an appearance in last month’s Walker Cup in Los Angeles.
MacIntyre, who joined Stephen Gallacher, Grant Forrest and Ewen Ferguson in the Bounce Sport stable in August, will make his pro debut in this week’s Jordan Golf Championship at Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba. He will then spend some time practising in Dubai before teeing up in the Sahara Kuwait Championship in Kuwait City on October 16-18.
The left-hander from Glencruitten is using the trip to the Middle East to get ready for the second stage of the European Tour Qualifying School in Spain at the beginning of next month.
 “It was going to happen at some point,” said MacIntyre, who leaves the amateur ranks sitting 14th in the world rankings, of his move. “The big question was ‘when?’. And now is as good a time as ever. "I’m sure I could have explored playing in a few bigger European Tour events at the start of my professional career, but the route I’m taking is geared towards the Qualifying School. That’s my main goal and the reason I’m playing in these two MENA Tour events is that I feel it will give me the best chance of securing my card for next season.”
MacIntyre gave a glimpse of his potential in 2013 when he became the first player to win the Scottish youths and boys’ stroke play titles in the same year. He then won the Scottish Amateur Championship at Muirfield in 2015 before reaching the final of the Amateur Championship at Royal Porthcawl the following season. 
Earlier this year, as part of his preparation for turning professional, he played in three Challenge Tour events
“This trip will allow me to practise as long as I want each day, which isn’t the case back home at this time of the year due to the weather,” added MacIntyre, who was unbeaten in two matches against highly-rated American Cameron Champ in the Walker Cup.
“You’ve got to start somewhere when you turn pro and I don’t mind at all going from the top of the amateur game to working my way up through the professional ranks. It’s about building things up again and I think the biggest challenge when you go from amateur to pro is getting the right mindset.”
“My family are delighted about this development, as are lots of people at the club. They are excited to see where my future lies. It’s about learning the ropes in the professional game. It’s about learning how to live out on the road and that’s exciting.”
Iain Stoddart, Bounce Sport’s founding partner, said: “We are wholeheartedly behind the route Robert is taking at the start of his professional career and he has an exciting journey ahead. Everything points to Robert being ready for this next step on that journey and the events he will be playing in over the coming weeks are all geared towards being ready for the second stage of the European Tour Qualifying School.”