From growing up in Scotland, to life on the road with the European Challenge Tour, Scotsman Ewen Ferguson opens up about his career so far and what he is expecting at this week’s Euram Bank Open after finishing second the last time it was a sole Challenge Tour sanctioned event in 2019.
It is widely-regarded as the Home of Golf, but what was it like growing up in Scotland in a place that is so big on the sport?
It was good, obviously in Scotland there’s loads of courses everywhere you go although it’s a different kind of golf. It prepares you to toughen yourself and your mindset up for playing all over the world which I think is the good thing about Scotland. You have to brave out the conditions and the weather quite often but it’s the Home of Golf so it does come with a bit of pressure with people wanting you to do well, but I like it. It’s always been good and it’s good to go back home when you’ve got the chance. A lot of people know of you in the golf industry as well because it is a smaller country so it’s nice.
How does golf in Scotland differ from the rest of the world?
I would say golf in Scotland is different, you have links golf which is completely different and then especially tournament golf that you play back home with links courses and the weather, they make the courses really hard so level par ends up being a really good score. Out here level par would mean that you’re missing the cut so you need to have to change your mind set from shooting five, six, seven under when you’re playing well and not accepting anything else and that is probably the toughest transition is knowing that you have to go low when you’re playing well.
Going back to the start of your career when you won the Boys Amateur Championship in 2013, would you say that was when your career really took off?
I think golf has so many peaks and troughs. You play well and you don’t play well and when you play well you just need to make sure that you do something when you’re doing well. It definitely gave me a bit of confidence, it really got my name out there and I think doing stuff like that helps with turning pro and having a good amateur career with sponsorships. It definitely makes things easier when you’re on the road and playing pro golf. I’d say that was the turning point to give me the confidence to keep playing well and going further in the golfing world.
You were second at the Euram Bank Open in 2019, does that give you confidence going into this week?
I feel like my game has been quite good. I’ve had some solid finishes this year already as well but at the end of the day I’ve had some good finishes before and not done well the year after, and then bad finishes in certain events and I thought I don’t like the place. Then I come back and do well so you’ve still got to go out there and play well but the little advantage that I’ve got is I’ve played the course under pressure. I know some of the holes well and I know where not to go, so I feel like the wee bit of knowledge I’ve got on the course I can use to my advantage.
Why do you think that this course is suited to your game after your impressive finish in 2019?
I think you shot shape it a little bit. You need to be good off the tee and you cannot afford to not hit it straight and that is usually what I am quite good at and hopefully I can hit it straight off the tee like that again and see what happens.
What’s the aims for the rest of the season?
Get my card and win a tournament, that’s my main focus. I think that’s why everyone is here to be honest. The ultimate goal is to try and finish in the top 20 at the end of the year and I think that’s no secret for everybody.
