Moritz Lampert has said his decision to play this week’s Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald instead of his home event on The European Tour was vindicated when he was told by US Open Champion Martin Kaymer that he had made the right call.
The young German has already won twice on the Challenge Tour this season, claiming two titles in the space of three weeks at the Kärnten Golf Open presented by Mazda and the Fred Olsen Challenge de España.
A third victory in Scotland this week would earn him automatic promotion to The Race to Dubai, following in the footsteps of last year’s winner of this event Brooks Koepka.
Koepka has since gone on to become one of the most promising young prospects in world golf and Lampert admitted he wanted to stay patient as he aims to emulate the American’s meteoric rise from European golf’s second tier.
“I spoke to Martin Kaymer two days ago,” said the 22 year old, who was in the hunt heading into the weekend at Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Club, after a four under par 67 moved him to six under for the week.
“I had an invitation to play in the BMW International in Cologne as one of the top eight players in Germany. But I turned it down to play here.
“There was a bit of buzz in Germany about me not playing in the BMW this week, a lot of people have asked about it, but Kaymer told me it was the right decision. I want to focus on the Challenge Tour.
“The goal is to win, but whether it’s here or the next couple of weeks I don’t know. You can’t say. Brooks Koepka did it here a year ago, and what he has done in the last couple of months is incredible. Hopefully I can do that.”
