Scott Jamieson came into the BMW PGA Championship with the first bit of expectation he has had to carry in his short European Tour career but has clearly lived up to it with an outstanding Wentworth debut.
The 27-year-old got a current form invitation as reward for his excellent performance in the first five months of this season and shares the position of top Scot at two-under going into the weekend with Peter Whiteford, a slightly more experienced campaigner around the West Course but not by much.
Both players shot two-under 69s playing to a strict gameplan and now have a guarantee of a sizeable cheque in their shared goal of reaching the Dubai World Championship at the season’s end.
Jamieson may have got in to the championship on merit and didn’t feel he had anything to prove, but some eyes were cast expectantly on the 27-year-old who has been Scotland’s find of the golfing season.
“I felt I’d earned the right to be here on what I’d done so far,” he said.
“So it was a case of sticking with the process, concentrating on what I’d planned and letting the rest happen.”
Thursday’s par 71 had been a bit of an adventure with a succession of ups and downs, and the only blemish on Friday’s card was the double bogey six on the brutally tough 12th, birdies at each of the last two holes carrying him into a top ten position for the weekend.
“This is the first time I’ve played with the best guys in the world and the biggest event I’ve ever been in, but while I’m nervous I’ve been that way before and dealt with it,” he added.
“The cameras have been on me now a couple of times and the crowds are there, so I’ve had that experience as well and it won’t faze me now.”PaybackWhiteford has deserved plenty payback from his first and famous experience of Wentworth three years ago, when he waited three days as a late reserve and he had less than a minute to get to the tee when Vijay Singh withdrew.
He missed the cut then but has made on his next two visits, and the Fifer’s 69 on Friday was his best performance yet, but nothing more than he had expected.
“The aim wasn’t just to make the cut, you have to put that to the back of your mind,” he said.
“This is a tough course, but it suits my eye and it is do-able if you play well.”
Colin Montgomerie slumped to a 75 and had no birdies after the seven on Thursday, but made it to the weekend at one of his favourite venues.
Surviving to the weekend was Tartan Tour champion Greig Hutcheon, who shot a par round of 71 shortly after completing his weather-delayed first round in the early morning, and is guaranteed his biggest cheque of the year.
Not so lucky was Whiteford’s fellow Fifer George Murray, who fell away with a seven-over back nine in his second round.
Gary Orr missed by a single shot while Richie Ramsay, Paul Lawrie and Scott Drummond also missed out.