Duncan ready to get pro career back on track
ASKING a professional gol fer about their part icipat ion in a f o r t h c o m i n g qualifying school can often spawn the kind of startled, harrowing look you’d get on someone who’s just heard the Four Minute Warning blaring in the background.
Let’s face it – the physical, psychological slog of the q- school examination is hardly a jolly jaunt. Cut- throat, dogeatdog, survival of the fittest? You name it, the qualifying school tends to be it.
You need a stout heart for this particular form of golfing combat but Louise Duncan is up for the battles ahead. The 22- year- old rookie from West Kilbride will be hoping to earn her stripes in the Ladies European Tour qualifying scramble next week and gain a foothold on the professional ladder.
Duncan joined the paid ranks back in July and plunged herself in at the deep end with appearances at two of the biggest events of the season. She missed the cut on her debut at the Trust Golf Scottish Women’s Open but bounced back with a share of 19th in the AIG Women’s Open the following week at Muirfield. Professionally, life has been a bit stop- start since then. Personally, there has been the anguish of the passing of her dad after a long, devastating illness.
“I had a bit of a reset after that, we went away as a family on holiday and now I’m ready to go again,” she said. “Obviously I started my pro career with two huge events but then it stopped. I played in a few of Paul Lawrie’s Tartan Pro Tour events which kept a card in my hand and gave me competition. They were a God send really and kept me sharp.”
Turning pro with no status on any tour is always a bit of a gamble but, given the early opportunities she had, Duncan has no regrets. “I would’ve been stupid not to take them” she said of those summer showpieces on Scottish soil.
“When you’re an amateur you do witness people missing the bus and their opportunity is gone. Golf can be hard that way. I didn’t want to miss that bus. You never know with this game. I might only last a couple of years [ as a pro] but I’m planning on making it a long- term career.”
With a canny, down- to- earth nature and a self- deprecating sense of humour that’s as dry as a World Cup stadium kiosk in Qatar, Duncan’s level- headedness is a valuable asset in this often mind- mangling game. With a q- school looming, keeping the heid will be key.
“Yes, it would be great to get a tour card and build some momentum but it’s important to keep calm whatever happens,” said the former Women’s Amateur champion, who made her mark on the global stage with a thrilling share of 10th in the 2021 Women’s Open.
“I’ll try not to get too up or down whatever happens. That’s important in golf. If I don’t get my full card then I’ll just roll with the punches.”
Duncan is willing to roll up the sleeves too. The tour’s secondtier Access Series offers promotion to the top table as well as plenty of experience at the hard professional coal face. It can serve as a valuable apprenticeship
“If I have to start off on the Access Series then fine,” added Duncan. “There are some great opportunities on it and lots of players have earned their stripes that way.
“The top six get promoted and it hardens you to life as a pro. It certainly wouldn’t be a waste of time playing there. But getting a full tour card would be the
ideal outcome and it’s certainly not out of my reach.
“I can take a lot of belief from the big weeks I’ve had at the Women’s Open so I’ll go into the q- school in good spirits. Anytime I’m playing, I can just think about those weeks to get me going.”
Since those amateur dramatics at Carnoustie in the Wom
en’s Open a couple of years ago, Duncan has got used to life in the spotlight.
“You have to enjoy it and learn from it because, let’s face it, you’ll not get much attention if you’re shooting 85s,” she said with a wry chuckle. “It’s been a good thing.
“Hopefully it prepares me for bigger things down the line.”