Robert MacIntyre in hot water after opening-round meltdown at Masters

The Scottish golfer arrived in Georgia with genuine hopes of contending for the Green Jacket, but instead produced one of the most alarming rounds of his career. An opening 80 - eight over par - has left him battling just to make the cut, a scenario few would have predicted given his strong recent form.

MacIntyre also let his frustrations get the better of him at the par-five 15th, where a sequence of costly errors resulted in a rare quadruple bogey. After finding the fairway with a superb drive, he looked well placed to attack the green. However, his approach found the water guarding the green, and matters worsened when his pitch shot from a penalty drop spun back into the hazard.

Clearly frustrated, he appeared to flip his middle finger in the direction of the green - an incident that could draw the attention of Masters tournament officials, who are known for taking a very firm stance on player conduct.

MacIntyre eventually carded a nine on the hole and never recovered.

A closing bogey at the 17th ensured he failed to break 80, leaving him well adrift of the early pace-setters, including Sam Burns and defending champion Rory McIlroy.

Only a handful of players posted worse scores on a day where anything under par proved enough to sit inside the top 10. MacIntyre declined to speak to the media afterward, bringing a miserable day to a silent close.