MacIntyre says season may be over after tied sixth at St Andrews

Robert MacIntyre says his season may already be over after finishing tied for sixth at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.

The Scot told BBC Scotland after his final round that it was potentially the end of his campaign for the year, with his next moves undecided BBC Sport. He came into the week as defending champion, having won the title 12 months earlier.

A share of sixth place is solid golf. It is not a defence. MacIntyre, ranked world No 19 at the time of the report, left the Old Course without adding another win to a season that has tested his patience.

His short-term schedule is clear. He will not play in this week's Spanish Open. He also has no current plans to compete in India or South Korea before the DP World Tour's season-ending events.

Those final events are the problem. The tour is due to close its season in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in November. MacIntyre said he will wait to see how conflicts in the Middle East develop before deciding whether to travel.

He is not alone in pausing. Matt Fitzpatrick has also expressed doubts about going to the Middle East for the closing stretch. Rory McIlroy, the world No 2, has taken a different view and confirmed he intends to play in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

For fans, this means the tour's finale could look different from the one on paper. Two leading British players are weighing safety against points, prize money and ranking places, while the tour's biggest names decide week by week.

MacIntyre left one door open. He said he could play in the Bahamas in December depending on his preparations for next season. That event sits outside the DP World Tour run and would be about sharpness, not the season race.

There is also a longer view at St Andrews. The Old Course is scheduled to host the 155th Open Championship next summer. A tied sixth on those fairways is a useful reminder of the lines and the wind before a major returns.