Robert MacIntyre says the use of drones for broadcast coverage during tournaments “drives me insane” after being spoken to by a DP World Tour rules official at the Dunhill Links Championship.

Scotland’s number one golfer, the defending champion, became frustrated with a drone as he approached the closing stages of his opening round at Carnoustie on Thursday.

The 30-year-old, who is ranked 19th in the world, dropped a shot at the par-four ninth – his 18th hole of the day – to finish on one under par.

MacIntyre said the noise from drones flying close to players can affect his concentration, particularly in windy conditions.

“It drives me insane. I’ve had previous for it,” he said.

“See, when they’re staying still, it’s fine. It’s more the buffeting from the wind and it’s trying to stay in position. It’s like a revving of a car right where you’re trying to hit. I struggle with it.

“I asked [the rules official] twice previous to the shot on the eighth about the drone and then I step off the shot on eight. I’m just thinking about the drone and then, yeah, a bad shot.

“And then I step off my putt on the 18th because there’s a drone there.

“I’m just trying to play golf, and I get the TV’s everything – TV money – but, I mean, they don’t need to be so close.”

MacIntyre said he was spoken to by a tournament official after expressing his frustration directly towards the camera operator.

He added: “I was just asking him what’s going on because they’ve obviously heard me swear a few times straight at the camera guy. We’ll see what the tournament director’s got to say.”

MacIntyre also said his one-under-par opening round did not meet the standards he has set for himself after a year in which he has established himself among the world’s leading players.

“It’s just the way I’m playing golf this year, this today,” he said.

“There’s so much good in there, but then I walk off one under par and it’s OK, but it’s just not the level I want to be at.

“It’s fine just now, I need to go away and fix it. The days I hit the ball well, I don’t putt as well, and the days I hit it absolutely horrific, I putt the boots off it. It’s just the way it is just now.”

MacIntyre will play at Kingsbarns on Friday before completing the three-course rotation at St Andrews on Saturday.

Earlier this week, the Oban golfer called for Carnoustie and Muirfield to become regular venues on the Open Championship rota.

And he believes the conditions he encountered on Thursday showed exactly why Carnoustie deserves to host more major championships.

“That’s the toughest I’ve played this place in years,” he said.

“I’ve played here now, I don’t know, 20 times, I would say, and normally it’s a slightly different wind and you’re standing on 17 and you’re shelling the driver over the burn, flicking on a wedge.

“Whereas today it was three-wood, rescue wood.

“There are some holes that were easier, but that was as good a test as this place has played. There’s still a good score out there, but it wasn’t easy.”