Missing On European Tour …. Scottish-Born ‘Twenty Something’ Year Old’s.

There is something missing on the European Tour and that is Scotland-born ‘twenty-something’ year old golfers.

While England boasts close to 20 players under the age of 30 on this year’s 2016 Race To Dubai there is not one of the 10 Scottish-born players, including the country’s top world-ranked Russell Knox, under the age of 30 and holding Tour membership.

Danny Willett and Andy Sullivan again reinforced the strength of England golf when the duo fought for victory in last week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

They are both aged 28 and were each chasing a fourth Tour victory and with the Sheffield-born Willett holing a testy 15-foot birdie putt to deny his former England Home International team-mate.

The last time a ‘twenty-something’ born Scot won on the European Tour was in late 2012 when Glaswegian Scott Jamieson captured the rain-reduced Nelson Mandella Challenge, and a year short of his 30th birthday.

The last 20-something Scot to win on the European Tour - Scott Jamieson capturing the Nelson Mandela Championship.

The last 20-something Scot to win on the European Tour – Scott Jamieson capturing the Nelson Mandela Championship in late 2012,

Knox is the youngest of the Scots holding European Tour membership and was aged 30 years and five months when he sealed a maiden pro career success in winning last November’s the WGC – HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Earlier last year Richie Ramsay was three months shy of his 32nd birthday winning the Hassan 11 Trophy in Morocco.

A fortnight ago Paul Lawrie put himself into contention to win a record third Commercial Bank Qatar Masters but then 29 days after celebrating his 47th birthday.

Marc Warren was 25 when he won a first Tour title, the 2006 Scandinavian Masters, ahead of a year later winning on home soil with victory in the 2007 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

Marc Warren wins 2006 Scandinavian Masters and when aged in his '20s. (Photo - www.gettyimeages.com)During the course of last year’s Race to Dubai schedule there was seven victories shared among four ‘twenty-something’ England-born players with Sullivan winning three times, Willett twice and other wins shared by Chris Wood, aged 25 in winning the Lyoness Open, and Matthew Fitzpatrick had only just turned 21 when he was handed the British Masters trophy.

Also in strong contrast to the Home of Golf nation, England now have four players – Willett, Sullivan, Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose – among the current top-eight automatic qualifiers for this year’s Ryder Cup.

The closest any Scot is to making the European Team is Border’s 40-year old David Drysdale, and lying a distant 44th on the European Points List.

Willett summed-up the strength of England-born golf shortly after winning in Dubai.

“You just get them veins of players as we had it players like (Paul) Casey, (Luke) Donald, (Lee) Westwood and (Ian) Poulter but then in terms of my era we have England players like myself, Sully (Andy Sullivan) Woody (Chris Wood) and Fitz (Matthew Fitzpatrick),” he said.

Danny Willett and among some 20 England-born players in their 20s. (Picture: Golffile | David Lloyd - www.golffile.ie)

Danny Willett and among some 20 England-born players in their 20s. (Picture: Golffile | David Lloyd – www.golffile.ie)

“When we were at the Home Internationals ten years ago it was pretty strong teams from all countries.

“But then all the England lads are kind of just feeding off each other.

“And again you look at the likes of Sully and Woody and myself, and Fitzy in the EurAsia Cup, it was good fun to be in and around it, having a good craic and a good bit of banter with the lads.

“So for the next few years, we’re going to be the ones that are trying to beat each other, which is good.”

Jamieson, who is taking a month’s break from competition after finishing well down in Dubai, sought to put a handle on the lack of ‘twenty something’ Scots competing on the European Tour.

“I can’t really put my finger on it but then there is a big gap now, and you can’t really use the Scottish weather as an excuse now,” said Jamieson.

“There are so many young English guys who have come through and maybe we need to start giving our amateurs more starts in the pro game, so they can get a base as to where they stand.

“We had the reigning U.S. Amateur champion play in the Middle East and he made the three cuts, and there was another amateur in the field in Dubai who has made the cut(England’s James Allan), so he’s obviously getting a wee feel for it.

“Some people can argue that if you throw them in too early it almost has the opposite effect so I guess it’s hard to get the balance right.  It’s different for different individuals.

“When I came onto the Tour in 2005 the motivation for me was Marc Warren.  I was still in America then and he is a couple of years older than me. Probably that’s the closest touching point for me.  Marc would be the one for me.  He is just along the road at East Kilbride and was doing it.

“So it’s hard to put a finger on it and hopefully there will be younger Scots coming onto the Tour and displaying just how strong Scottish golf can be.”



Comments are closed.