Bradley Neil’s dream season will take him to Augusta and Chambers Bay next year but the 18-year-old from Blairgowrie launches on familiar ground today.
The Amateur champion will play in only his third professional event having been given an invite to play in this week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, the European Tour’s first full-field event of a new season which will see him play the Masters and US Open by virtue of his victory at Royal Portrush in June.
Bradley comes fresh from warm-weather training with the Scotland international squad in the United Arab Emirates, and is familiar with the tournament venue, Leopard Creek Country Club, from previous SGU trips.
Those annual visits to South Africa are paid for by Alfred Dunhill Links Championship owner Johan Rupert, and after his excellent performance in that event in 2013, Bradley will carry the standard for the Scottish Golf Union.
“It’s not just a question of this invite for me, it’s also about the work the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation have done to support Scottish golf,” pointed out Bradley. “Certainly that’s been the case the last couple of years when I’ve been involved, going and competing in South Africa with the SGU and playing in the Alfred Dunhill Links at St Andrews.
“The SGU’s partnership with Mr Rupert and the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation, has been fantastic for us and given me and many others great opportunities.”
Bradley credited the preparation he had in South Africa for his brilliant 2014, which also saw him have podium finishes in five strokeplay events as well as his Amateur crown.
“Last year, going to South Africa and playing competitively before the domestic season got me into good form and I kept it going through the season,” he said. “I had the chance to get my game ready earlier than others which proved really beneficial.
“We played in our annual Test match against South Africa at Leopard Creek earlier this year and, counting practice rounds, I’ve played it six times I think so I know it fairly well.
“I’ve worked hard in the UAE, doing a lot of work on and off the course, and to get a competition like this early in the season is fantastic.
“It’s just a great opportunity for me to be here. It gives me a great chance to see how my game is early on and if the work I have done over the last couple of weeks can pay off.”
It’s Bradley’s aim this season to consistently challenge in the top strokeplay events on the circuit, and perform well after finding his first big stage, last year’s Open at Hoylake, a little overwhelming.
“Playing in The Open was my first Tour event on my own, rather than the Dunhill where I played with a partner in Peter Uihlein,” he said.
“It was one of the biggest stages in the whole of golf, the whole of sport, so I was in at the deep end. “But I picked up knowledge and experience on how to cope with that environment. Hopefully I can use that this week, to feel more comfortable by playing in more professional events.”
Bradley even has familiar partners for the first two rounds in two players he’s competed against regularly on the Amateur circuit in the last two years who have recently turned prp Italy’s Renato Paratore who is actually a year younger than the Scot, and South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, who pipped Bradley for the Lytham Trophy in May.
Major champions Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen are both in the field, as is Dunhill Links champion Oliver Wilson.
Scots Scott Jamieson, David Drysdale and Craig Lee all launch their new seasons in South Africa as well.