Sandy Scott paid tribute to his golf upbringing at Nairn after earning his card for the Korn Ferry Tour.
The 26-year-old shot a final-round 66 at the Fortinet Cup Championship at TPC Toronto to claim second spot, which catapulted him up to eighth in the overall season standings – enough to join the PGA’s feeder circuit.
Having made 12 cuts and secured five top-10 finishes in his 15 events on the PGA Tour Americas, it was a fitting reward for Sandy’s consistency.
“I started the season well down in South America and got myself into a good position going into the Canadian stretch,” said Sandy, whose brother Calum was the low amateur at The Open in July. “I hadn’t played those courses before, so I had to adapt but I just tried to learn and improve with each tournament.
“Thankfully I had an extremely good final day to snatch up one of those spots, so I was pretty delighted.”
It also marked a decisive response to a wrist injury that had once threatened to scupper his career plans entirely, with Sandy now fighting fit and able to draw on the experience of overcoming such a setback.
“That’s going to be one of the hardest things that I’ll have overcome,” he said. “I draw on that experience probably more than I know. I think going through that definitely puts me in good stead, just in general tournament play.
“I’m just happy to be back playing and I feel like even month to month, my wrist is getting better and better. I can start to do more things that I maybe couldn’t do a few months back, so it’s exciting to be back on this journey.”
Sandy Scott: “Nairn has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember”
It is a journey that first started at Nairn, where Sandy is still a member, and he has nothing but love for his home club.
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“Nairn Golf Club has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” he said. “I must have started playing golf there when I was three or four years old. My Dad was the Assistant Professional there and he introduced me to golf. My brother is also a member and we all love Nairn.
“I was very fortunate to be growing up at a time when golf was just booming at Nairn and there was lots of competition, lots of guys to play with, and they ran a fantastic junior programme. I have to give Nairn Golf Club and everybody involved huge credit.”
As he looks ahead to the next phase of his career, Sandy believes his grounding at Nairn has been a major factor in his ongoing success.
“What it’s done for my game has been amazing,” he said. “I think the facilities, the nine-hole course, the championship course – it’s just a fantastic place to grow up playing golf.
“It offers a lot of challenges that I think put me in good stead for today, playing in tournaments around the world.
“Every time I come back to Nairn, I always get the feeling that I’m extremely lucky to have grown up playing at such a great golf course.
“It’s one of my favourite courses in the world, certainly in Scotland, and it’s just an extremely fun course to play. I think it has fairness and challenge, the scenery is amazing, and the greens are some of the best I’ve ever putted on.”
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