South African golf’s current purple patch would suggest they don’t need advice on bringing up players, but Keagan Thomas still thinks he’ll be better off in Scotland.
That despite the freezing temperatures at Monifieth Links for the Scottish Boys Championship being nothing like his present home near Durban, where his dad Steve emigrated 20 years ago from his home in Dundee.
That link is why the 16-year-old plus two handicapper can play in the Boys’ and he is a dangerous looking unseeded player in the draw, as well as a ready-made prospect for the Scotland international set-up as he is ready to declare for his dad’s country.
Thomas won his first round tie 3 and 2 over Cameron Kerr of Elgin meant it was a pretty good homecoming for Keagan, something he expects to complete in the next couple of years.
“My dad’s from here and my mum’s from Germany and they want to return to Europe, and it looks like we’ll be moving here to Scotland,” he said.
“Personally I’m pretty happy to come because I want to play golf and turn professional and I want to do it here.
“Obviously there have been a lot of good players coming out of South Africa but that’s because of the competition between the players, and I just feel that the support for young players at my stage of development is better in Scotland than it is in South Africa.”
The family still have relations living in this area but it is quite a meteorogical shock for a player accustomed to playing in temperatures ranging from 25 to 30 degrees back home teeing off on an April morning with the mercury hovering around zero.
“It’s the same game, you’re just playing with a lot more clothes on,” he said.
“I’ve been in the UK for the last two weeks and practiced a bit in these conditions so I’m pretty used to it now.”
A pupil at Hilton College in Pietermariztburg, where both matchplay and strokeplay champion, he also won the South Coast Classic junior tournament in South Africa before coming to Europe.
More of a Tiger Woods fan, he does admire the former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, but knows the great eminence of South African golf far better.
“My friend James Throssel is golf captain at Hilton College and is the grandson of Gary Player, so I’ve met him a good few times,” added Keagan.
The youngster’s stamina as well as the strength of his thermals will be tested with two matches and the same for the rest of the week if he wants to go all the way in the championship.
Still no seeds have fallen in the championship with third-ranked Ewen Ferguson of Bearsden, who is at a golf academy at Hilton Head in South Carolina, became the second to be pushed to the final green, but he came through against Lewys Anderson (Deeside) by two holes.
The New Club’s Keith Bowman, the youngest player in the championship at just 13, was edged by fellow Fifer Niall McMullen from Lundin, but the highly regarded Greg Forrester from the same club was ousted two down by Alford’s Callum Coutts. There was consolation for Fife with a 6 and 5 victory for St Andrews’ Cameron Campbell.
After a decent first day for Angus there was mostly disappointment with losses for Findlay Souter (Montrose Mercantile) and both the McKenna twins from Downfield, Josh and John. Comrie’s Callum McGuigan defeated Josh and joined fellow Perth and Kinross player Bradley Neil in the second round ties.