When Visit Scotland sent me a message, inviting me to play in the Genesis Scottish Open pro-am, I couldn’t believe it was real. Me, a beginner golfer, teeing it up alongside the pros? It seemed too good to be true.
Despite the doubts and fears that crept in, I knew that this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
Over the last year of golfing, I had played numerous courses and experienced my fair share of bad shots, so the thought of making mistakes didn’t faze me anymore. Besides, I had recently embraced a new philosophy of saying yes to every opportunity that came my way.
As I arrived at the prestigious Renaissance Club, my excitement soared when I spotted a caddie’s bib with my surname. It made me feel like golfing royalty.
(Image credit: Olly Curtis)
Instead of heading straight to the pro range where the greatest golfers on Earth were practising (I couldn’t face hitting a ball next to them), I chose the putting green. Little did I know, I would still have a remarkable encounter.
As I tapped in a great putt, I glanced over and realised that Scottie Scheffler was putting next to me. My inner fangirl erupted with excitement. I managed to snap a photo with him, and that moment alone felt surreal.
But now, it was time to face the main event—the tee time.
Standing on the tee box, my heart raced with nerves as the starter called out our names one by one. With shaky hands, I managed to launch a decent drive, and a wave of relief washed over me.
The format for the day was a “Tour Scramble,” where each team played from the best drive, and only birdies or better counted toward the score. My group was paired with Keith Mitchell for the first nine holes and Ewen Ferguson for the second.
Watching Keith play was mesmerising. His meticulous approach to each shot, analysing every aspect from club selection to wind direction, taught me the importance of patience and careful assessment. I realised I needed to take much more time to analyse my own shots.
(Image credit: Olly Curtis)
The first couple of holes went smoothly for me, without any major blunders. However, the low point of my round came on the third hole when I embarrassingly topped the ball. It was an…
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