Scottish Ryder Cup winner Robert MacIntyre missed the 2026 Masters cut, carding 80 and 71 for a seven‑over‑par total. He refused interview and uploaded an Instagram gnome flashing a middle finger, a stunt that instantly spread online. The gesture followed a televised middle‑finger on the 15th green after a wayward approach led to a quadruple‑bogey nine.

The middle‑finger incident drew a reprimand from Augusta National officials, underscoring the club’s strict code of conduct. MacIntyre’s post also revived debate over the limited‑edition Masters gnome, originally priced at £37 and now changing hands for ten times that on resale sites.

Both episodes highlight Augusta’s tight‑lipped stance on player behaviour, with Chairman Fred Ridley refusing to comment on the gnome’s future. While the Scotsman’s on‑course performance fades, the off‑course drama adds a memorable footnote to a tournament where decorum usually outweighs drama overall.

The gnome controversy has also jolted the memorabilia market; resale listings now hover around £370, ten times the original price, prompting collectors to question whether the novelty will survive future bans.