The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Syme on right track after Open debut
Drumoig man reflects on ‘amazing’ week
Connor Syme won’t be returning to Fife with a Silver Medal but he will be going home with a conviction that his golf career is on the right track.
The Drumoig man’s main goal for his first Open was finishing as the leading amateur, but missing the half-way cut has ruled that out.
As a learning experience and as confirmation of his golfing skillset however, Royal Birkdale has been everything a promising young player could want.
On the one hand Syme, whose six over par round left him on nine over for the championship, looked to the manner born. But on the other, a failure to minimise the impact of inevitable mistakes, cost him dearly.
“It’s some big numbers – two doubles and a quadruple - that have cost me,“he said. “And I’ve not had many of those this season.
“I don’t feel my game is a million miles away. I just need to be smarter with my golf ball after being punished for a couple of my weaker shots.
“Looking back, they were unnecessary but I’ve just got to dust myself down and go again. I definitely want more of this as it has been amazing. “It wasn’t half a mixed bag. “I was struggling away fine but the 12th (the seven on a par three) really cost me and I’m a bit disappointed about that.
“I missed it right and, reflecting on it over the final few holes, I aimed too close to the flag as the only place you can’t afford to miss it there is on the right side.
“I had no stance really and got underneath it a little bit to the left before going back into the bunker. It was a bit of a nightmare. It’s the sort of thing you wouldn’t see the pros doing and it’s something for me to learn from.”
Syme had been a model of consistency in the early stages of his first round but the same holes were much more up and down yesterday. He went through seven of them without a par.
The former Australian Amateur champion got back in the groove to keep a dropped shot off his card for the last third of his 18 but the damage had been done.
He said: “My caddie, Tim Poyser, helped me out after what happened after the 12th as it was a case of still trying to do myself proud. It’s been an absolutely amazing experience to play in such big crowds. Playing with John Daly as well was also really good and I will definitely take a lot from this week.
“There have been a lot of positives. I made a good number of birdies again today but just had too many mistakes. It was pleasing to finish with six straight pars after what happened at the 12th.
“The whole week has been special. Having my family and friends here is something that doesn’t happen too often and it was cool to see all of them following me around.”
Syme, who was announced on to the tee as Sim for the second day running despite the starter telling him “he was going to get it right today”, has some big amateur events left in his season.
“I’m heading to the US on Tuesday for the Western Amateur the following week,” he said. “And then I have the US Amateur and hopefully I can use this experience to do well out there.
“The Walker Cup is still my goal and hopefully I can get a spot on that team.
“If it was done on world rankings, I am third in terms of GB&I players at the moment so hopefully that helps. But you never know. It’s a team pick and hopefully I am the right fit.”