Great Dane offers hope to our misfiring Scots
THIS will not be remembered as a vintage year for Scottish golf.
No player in the European Ryder Cup team. No tournament wins on the European Tour. Not a single player competing in the Race to Dubai finale for the top 60.
And there was no glory for Scotland, either, in last week’s World Cup of Golf in Australia.
It was always asking a lot for Challenge Tour graduate Duncan Stewart to step up and partner a top-20 player in Russell Knox, despite the pair being best friends.
The sense of occasion for Stewart probably contributed to their opening 78 in the foursomes, which knocked them out of contention.
Their three subsequent rounds were commendable and hopefully Duncan can take that experience with him on to the European Tour.
It was a deserved victory for Denmark, their first in the event. The pairing of Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen dovetailed really well.
Soren should be an example to all Scottish golfers. Rather than try to copy Rory McIlroy, emulating Soren is realistic.
He had a good spell seven or eight years ago, but then went completely into the doldrums.
I remember seeing him on the practice ground at Wentworth two years ago and he was hitting the ball so well. I couldn’t understand why he was struggling.
Soren used to live near me in Ascot, but he told me that he was moving back home to Denmark.
He was obviously feeling the pressure of his golf and needed to make big lifestyle decisions for him and his family.
That move took some of the burden off him and it only takes one week to turn things around.
The Dane won the Irish Open at Royal County Down 18 months ago in brutal conditions and has never looked back.
He is now in the world’s top 50, had a couple of top-10s in the Majors this year and won enough money to earn a PGA Tour card for 2017.
That is how much Soren’s career has turned around. If it can happen to him, it could happen to any of the Scottish players on the European Tour.
There is no simple answer to changing your fortunes. But it certainly isn’t banging balls all day at the driving range.
You can concentrate on small things like the short game or grip or alignment. Even have better periods of rest.
Scotland is a great place to start and develop your golf. The coaching for boys at amateur level is second-to-none.
The basics for Scottish players are strong and the talent is there.
We won the Boys Home Internationals in 2015 and were runners-up this year. So there are signs of promise for the future.
We just need one of our guys to make the breakthrough. There is no greater inspiration than seeing your friend and fellow countryman succeed.
But it takes patience and perseverance and having the right things in place off the course. You then hope your chance comes along and you have to grab it.