As if the thrill of making your professional debut wasn’t enough, to do it at such a revered venue as Leopard Creek is a bonus Gregor Graham is intent on maximising.
The 21-year-old Scotsman earned a late invite to play at the Alfred Dunhill Championship over the weekend, flying out to South Africa on Monday to take his place in the field for the co-sanctioned DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour event.
Graham joined the paid ranks last month after a stellar season on the amateur scene, winning the South African Amateur Championship and the Brabazon Trophy.
Both those successes proved influential as he finished 12th in the inaugural Global Amateur Pathway Ranking to earn an exemption to play on the Challenge Tour next season.
But, before that, he will get to share the fairways with a host of multiple winners from the DP World Tour and PGA Tour as well as Major champions and President Cup stars.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” said Graham on the eve of Thursday’s first round. “I am so excited to get started, especially here at Leopard Creek. It’s one of the best places in golf.
“It was a bit late notice, so it was about booking a flight and getting over as soon as I could do.”
Gregor and his younger brother Connor have been mainstays of the Scotland set-up in recent years, with the latter playing in both the Walker Cup and Junior Ryder Cup last year.
But it is through the Global Amateur Pathway – launched by the DP World Tour, PGA TOUR, and The R&A – that sees Gregor put into the limelight for his accelerated entrance into the paid ranks.
And he is hopeful his amateur experience of playing on South African courses – including Leopard Creek – will aid his challenge this week, despite the last-minute preparations.
“I am going to enjoy it but nothing changes, it is another tournament,” he said.
“I will stick to what I have been doing in the amateur stuff, playing each round how it comes and see what happens really.”
Graham, who like so many in the game cites Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as his heroes growing up, is hoping he can take inspiration from some of the success stories of his fellow Scots out on Tour over the coming months.
One of four Scottish players in action, Graham has been grouped with DP World Tour winner Darius van Driel and talented Englishman Richard Mansell over the opening two rounds.
