Scott Jamieson is normally a quite unassuming Scot who goes about his trade with a minimum of fuss.
But when he was advised he was ‘on the clock’ after taking a double bogey at the first hole on the opening day of the Dubai World Championship the Scot thought it a little unjust.
Jamieson was out in the very first group of the day but after starting with a double bogey he was advised his was behind on the clock by one of the Tour’s leading referees.
Scott Jamieson critical of lack of consideration on the part of rules officials.
Jamieson is competing in the $US 7.5m event for a first occasion and after the time warning early in his round he put that aside and settled down from the first hole double to post a level par 72 to set up a second round match with Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez.
“It was a good fight back after a first hole double bogey as you never want to start by dropping two shots,” said Jamieson.
“But it’s annoying that we are five minutes over in playing the first and Andy McFee, the Chief Referee comes along and says we’re on the clock.
“C’mon give us a break. I’ve just taken a double bogey and he’s put me on the clock.
“We just ran for the next few holes and never ever saw the group behind us.
“Surely, he could have shown some consideration, and then when you have them chasing you it’s pretty hard to get into the swing of things.
“It just seems to me that if you make a bogey or a double as I did and they put you on the clock.”
Jamieson is among just three Scots including the Aberdonian duo of Richie Ramsay and Paul Lawrie to contest today’s (THU) commencing season-ending Dubai World Championship.
Just £ 3,824 seperated Jamieson as the 59th qualifier for this week’s $US 7.5m event and Bathgate’s Stephen Gallacher who missed out on being in Dubai this week by finishing 61st and one place outside the top-60 qualifiers.
“It was one of my goals to be competing in Dubai this week once I had secured my Tour card,” he said on the eve of the event.
“If I had just missed out I would have been bitterly disappointed, so it’s great to be here.
“But I don’t want to be here just as a reward for the season or just making up the numbers because if I have a good finish here, and with so much money on the table along with big world ranking points, it can the ball rolling for the start of next year.”
Jamieson’s inaugural season started well with five top-10s, included three third place results and one of those in the Barclays Scottish Open.
It earned him a place in the victorious GB & I Vivendi Seve Trophy side but since The Open the quietly-spoken Scot has gone right off the boil.
Jamieson contested 13 events starting from Royal St. George’s but missed the halfway cut in 10, and attributing a downturn in form to off-course ‘agitations’.
“The first two-thirds of my year was pretty good and right up to the Seve Trophy but I only made cut since the Seve Trophy,” he said.
“It’s hard to say what happened in my game but I definitely didn’t play that well.
“It’s strange because I had better results at the start of the season when I felt I wasn’t playing all that well.
“It’s a combination of things and anything in your mind that can have you slightly agitated.
“There were a lot of things going on like people shouting in my ear after the Seve Trophy, and likes like Monty saying in the papers I could be in the next Ryder Cup.
“It’s a fair question to be asking Monty but reading stories like that changes your expectations somewhat.
“It’s great to read that, and it comes with the job if you are playing well and it means you must be doing something right, but I’ve got to learn how to handle and deal with matter like that.
“Everything that has happened to me has been a learning curve and that’s just another one of those things I have to deal with, and if I am going to get to the top that’s all part of the process.
“There was talk also of me being rookie of the year, so you lose sight of just actually what is right in front of you.
“No matter what level you are playing at there is always something new thrown your way that you have to deal with, and that is the case at every single level of this game.”
But in saying that, Jamieson admits being present in Dubai in the elite 58-player field has exceeded his expectations.
“It would be fair to say that if at the start of the year you were to hand me a start this week I would have been surprised,” he said.
“I was not thinking I would qualify for the Seve Trophy so that a big bonus and while I hate saying that I have exceeded my expectations because you do set your goals high, I have been pleasantly surprised by my season.”
