McIlroy & Rahm have treated me unbelievably - MacIntyre

Robert MacIntyre will make his Ryder Cup debut this week at Marco Simone in the hills above Rome

Robert MacIntyre says the superstars of the European team "have treated him unbelievably" as he prepares for his first shot in the Ryder Cup.

He has entered what could be an intimidating team room containing major champions Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm

But the 27-year-old told BBC Sport Scotland: "It's been brilliant, it's been everything I have dreamed of."

He added: "Going into that team room with what you would call superstars, they are just normal human beings.

"They have treated me unbelievably. They have taken me under their wings, some of them. It's just been brilliant and I can't wait to get going."

MacIntyre is one of four debutants in the European side, alongside Swede Ludvig Aberg, Sepp Straka of Austria and Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard.

There is plenty of experience for the player from Oban to lean on though, both among his team-mates as well as captain Luke Donald and his vice-captains Thomas Bjorn and European legend Jose Maria Olazabal.

"There has been advice from everyone. Obviously you have Thomas, you have Luke, you have Jose Maria. You have Rory, Jon, just so many guys. I have spoken to almost everyone about it. Everyone who has experience of it.

"I've asked all for a little bit of advice but I'm not sure anything will prepare me for the first tee shot."

MacIntyre won one of his two titles on the DP World Tour at Marco Simone, the revamped couse that is hosting this week's Ryder Cup

MacIntyre is ranked number 55 in the world and qualified for the team automatically - rather than having to rely on a captain's pick - after a season headlined by finishing second behind McIlroy in the Scottish Open.

He won the 2019 DP World Tour rookie of the year, tied for sixth on his major debut in The Open and has claimed two tour titles - but is trying to take in the whole Ryder Cup experience in case this match is his only one.

"There have been no surprises yet. But there is so much going on. It's wild. I'm trying to soak it all in," he added.

"I'm trying to have a laugh along the way and just enjoy it. I want to do this for the rest of my life. I want to play in the Ryder Cup until I retire, but who knows?

"I am a sporty person. I love competing and if this is my only one it's my only one but I certainly don't want it to be. I hope I have many more to come."

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MacIntyre eventually decided not to play shinty last weekend because of the danger of getting injured and ruining his Ryder Cup involvement.

He is passionate about the popular Highlands sport but says he will get the same kind of feelings this week.

"The reason I play shinty is to try and clear my mind. Obviously I get the buzz from playing the sport but the team effort and the camaraderie within the team - you don't get that in golf other than this week," he added.

"You don't get that any other week on tour. So that's the reason I still play shinty. I love the bus journeys, the laughs and the good crack with the boys on the way back in the bus.

"It's slightly different this week. You are not in a minibus, you are not jammed in with each other but this week is kind of similar. It's just everyone together."

Europe will attempt to regain the Ryder Cup they lost emphatically 19-9 to the US at Whistling Straits two years ago.

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