Ferguson feels rising Scots stars are inspiring old guard to hit heights
Ewen Ferguson believes the emergence of a youthful group of Scottish golfers is providing a “kick up the backside” to some of their more experienced countrymen.
Last week 39-year-old Scot Marc Warren won the Austrian Open and, with the European
Tour’s reduced schedule moving just 34 miles down the road for the Euram Bank Open, which tees off today, Ferguson is hoping for a double-dose of inspiration.
At the same GC Adamstal course, south-west of Vienna, last year the 24-year-old was runner-up to compatriot Calum Hill after an eightunder-par final round of 64 in the Austrian Alps.
“There’s a lot of good players right now in Scotland,” he told europeantour.com. “I think Marc was motivated by not doing well last year and he spent time getting on top of his game.
“With the youngsters coming through, I think it’s a kick up the backside for the older guys and even they are pushing on now.
“You look at leaderboards now and there seems to be a lot of Scots kicking around.
“It’s good for us, even small things like when you’re having lunch, you can chat to friends you’ve known for years.
“It makes it homely and a little easier being on the road – you can bat ideas around and inspire each other.”
Unlike 12 months ago, when the Euram Bank Open was a Challenge Tour event, this summer it is co-sanctioned with the European Tour.
Germany’s Marcel Schneider, whose runner-up spot to Warren last week moved him to second place in the secondtier tour’s Road to Mallorca standings, is hoping to go one better.
“My game was super solid. I dropped four shots the whole week,” said Schneider, who jointly holds the course record of 62 set at Adamstal last year.
“Something clicked. Putting was never the big strength of my game but it worked quite well last week and I hopefully can ride on that wave for a long time.”