It’s Scott Jamieson’s turn to be the Scottish Boy On The Bubble at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, but it’s in such a balance it could even bounce him all the way to Dubai.
The Dunhill, usually played in good old Scottish autumn club medal conditions, has proved a lifeline for the native professionals on tour for most of its life since it was won in the inaugural year by Paul Lawrie in 2001.
In recent years many Scots have saved their Tour Cards or secured their futures as a result of playing on the most familiar of home soil – most have played the Old Course and Carnoustie regularly since they were juniors – and the Dunhill’s weighty prizefund of $5 million.
Just as that cash can promote a hopeful into tour status in just one weekend – think Rory McIlroy who ended all thoughts of scratching on satellite tours when he finished tied third in 2007 – it can also act as the cavalry for a beleaguered Scottish pro after a difficult season.
For Jamieson, a former tour winner, however, it could not only secure his playing rights but a recent timely turn in form might even see him leap from “the bubble” to the season-ending bonus pool at the DP World Championship.
“That’s the balance,” agreed the 32-year-old after his opening 67 at Kingsbarns that was a lesson in consistency with no bogeys. “It was always in my mind coming into this that I need a good week. I’m just outside the bubble just now but I’m in a much better position than I was a month ago.”
Top 10s in Italy and the Dutch Open in the last month have taken him to the cusp and now he’s looking to jump over.
“One solid week and it’s done and dusted, but one great week and I could go on and have my best season yet,” he continued.
“If I can get a top 10 or top five then you start talking about getting into the Final Stage events. It’s incredible how fine the margins are from one extreme to the other, it’s so close.”
Jamieson and his fellow Scots are well aware that this is an opportunity ,late in the season that has to be seized whatever their circumstances.
“It has to be good for Scottish golf that we have this event at this time of year,” he added. “We should know the golf courses a little better than most of the guys and be more familiar with the conditions and how to play in a bit of wind and keep the ball low.
“It’s a different game to what we usually play week-in week-out so I’d say we definitely have an edge, that’s for sure.”
The key to yesterday’s five-under score was not letting the occasional poor shit mar his card.
“When I was out of position I did a good job of getting it up and down,” he said. “There were couple of other chances that I felt I should have taken but the important thing was the par saves that I made kept the momentum of the round going.”
Craig Lee and Marc Warren are two more who could do with a “Dunhill Dunt” lying in the 120s on the Race to Dubai when only 110 retain their card of the list these days.
Lee started well with a three-under 69 at Kingsbarns but Warren had three successive bogeys to start at what is supposed to be the easiest of the three venues and in those circumstances a par round of 72 was a decent recovery.
There are no impending card worries for Stephen Gallacher (70 at St Andrews) or for Richie Ramsay, the leading Scot on the R2D list at present – and twice a top three finisher in the event – who went round in a solid 70 at Carnoustie.
There were tidy debuts from the two new young pros, Grant Forrest and Ewen Ferguson. Forrest had a 73 at Carnoustie with a boegy at the last while Ferguson is two-over after dropping three strokes over the 16th and 17th of the Old Course.
