Nairn golfer ready to take on top players at European Amateur Championship
CALUM Scott says he is looking to continue his good form this year as he prepares to take part in the European Amateur Golf Championship in Denmark.
The 20-year-old from Nairn is heading to Copenhagen to compete in the four-day tournament which begins tomorrow.
He is going into the tournament in good form having reached the quarter finals of The Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin in Ireland last week.
He says if he can carry on the same form he has been producing at recent tournaments, he is giving himself a good chance of success at The Scandinavian Golf Club.
He said: “The Amateur Championships has prepared me really well for it and I have played three events in a row so I am in good form.
“I thought I played well, I did a lot of really good things through the week, I thought I scrambled well and kept plugging away even when it wasn’t going my way. I knew good golf would show up and my game is there in links golf and I knew that I had to stay patient.
“I think if I try to keep doing what I am doing and see what shows up at the European Amateur Championships I could do well.”
Scott suffered an 18th hole defeat to overall winner Jacob Skov Olesen from Denmark in the quarter final of the Amateur Championship last week.
Scott did lead the last eight tie from the start up to the 15th hole, before Olesen produced a strong finish to progress. He was disappointed with how he lost the match.
He said “I am gutted to have lost that match, but I didn’t close it out and didn’t finish well enough and those last few holes were tough. I didn’t hit the right shots at the right time with the wind. It could have gone either way. It is a fickle game we play some times.”
The former Nairn Academy pupil, is now in his final year at Texas Tech University in Lubbock in the United States studying Sports Management.
He is following in the footsteps of his older brother Sandy who also studied there while playing golf.
He is enjoying the challenge of playing golf in the United States, saying it has helped develop his game.
He said: “Since the start of early February it has been full on, I guess I would rather have it that way than having too much of a break. I am able to compete and travel and a lot. But I try to take a break whenever I can. It has been busy, but I have had good results in the last few weeks. I am hoping to keep my form going.
“It has been different, but with golf and what it brings, I was away travelling a lot, it wasn’t out of the ordinary too much anyway. Having my brother there in my first year eased my worries about leaving home or being by myself. Having him there in my first year was huge for me starting, I got used to it and became OK with it and now it is what I do.
“There is a lot more to take into considering with altitude and temperature. The same with different grasses, you have to adapt and change and that takes getting used to especially from somewhere you know so well.
“Weather is nicer so you can play all year round. Other courses have different styles with rough and trees. A lot of great golf on both sides. Professionals are going from one country to the next, so it will never be the same.”
Scott is hopeful that he can continue his good form through 2024 and even land a place at The Open which takes place at Royal Troon in July.
Speaking about his future ambitions: “I would love to play at The Open this year and definitely win a collegiate event in my last year.
“I would also love to win a European Team event in Italy. Long term I would love to be at the PGA.
“If I do well at the European Amateur Championships I could set myself up for The Open and if I can take a top five, I think I could give myself a good chance.”
