Latest news with #ConnorSyme
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Open goal for Connor Syme as he prepares to join home charge for glory at The Renaissance Club
Connor Syme believes his confidence and self-belief are at an all-time high as he prepares to tee it up on some soil at this week's Genesis Scottish Open. Syme finally got the monkey off his back and won his maiden DP World Tour title at the KLM Open in Holland last month. The 29-year-old Fifer arrives at The Renaissance looking to build on that victory and will be buoyed by the fact he has a decent record around the East Lothian venue. Syme finished in a tie for 15th place last year and has made the cut on all six previous appearances. He believes he can go from strength to strength after finally clinching his first victory on tour - and has the added incentive of trying to secure a place in next week's Open Championship at Royal Portrush. 'There's always something you want to achieve and I really, really want to play in The Open,' admitted Syme. 'There's no denying that and, the same as everyone teeing up this week, if you're not in already then that's definitely a goal. 'Hopefully I can play well. When I look back at my win in Holland, I was definitely brilliant at bringing myself back into the present. 'That's hopefully something I can carry on with this week and I'm hoping my good golf can flourish from there. 'It's all positives. It's been such an amazing feeling to get that first win and to come back here as a winner on tour is really special.' Having joined the likes of Bob MacIntyre, Ewen Ferguson, Grant Forrest and Calum Hill as Scots to have won on tour in recent years, Syme believes Scottish golf is in a decent place overall. MacIntyre is currently placed just outside the world's top 10, with Ferguson the only other Scot inside the world top 150 at present. Asked whether or not he feels Scottish golf punches above its weight or holds its own, Syme added: 'Good question. I guess we are probably kind of getting it back. 'Certainly when I was coming through amateur golf, the talent that we had in Scotland for whatever reason didn't end up making it on tour at that point. 'I think a few of those guys probably still could do it, but it's obviously nice that from my age group growing up, quite a lot of us have managed to get on tour and have won on tour, which is awesome. 'But, yeah, obviously with the home of golf, it definitely carries its pressures and trying to live up to that. Bob is obviously doing absolutely brilliantly and we are all trying to get, hopefully, to where he gets to.'
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
'We're getting there' - Connor Syme opens up on state of Scottish golf
Scotland's newest KLM Open winner reflects on valuable support he received as an amateur Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Connor Syme reckons Scotland's next generation of professionals - the likes of Connor Graham, Cameron Adam and Hannah Darling - would benefit from the same level of support that helped him become the country's newest DP World Tour winner. Along with Bob MacIntyre, Grant Forrest and Ewen Ferguson among others, Syme gained valuable experience from playing in Challenge Tour events through an amateur-to-professional initiative involving Scottish Golf and Edinburgh-based Bounce Sport. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Coupled with playing in events around the world thanks to support he received as a Scottish Golf squad member, that gave Syme the platform to hit the ground running when he made the switch to the paid ranks in 2017. Connor Syme talks to the media during a press conference prior to the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club |The 31-year-old is now teeing up alongside some of the world's top players in this week's Genesis Scottish Open as the KLM Open winner after landing a maiden DP World Tour triumph, handling a pre-event press conference at The Renaissance Club in the same polished manner as the final round in Amsterdam last month. 'Good question,' he replied to being asked if he felt that Scotland as a professional elite golfing nation punches above or below its weight in the modern-day game, with MacIntyre, helped by his double win on the PGA Tour last season sitting 14th in the Official World Golf Ranking but only Ferguson being the other player flying the Saltire sitting in the current top 150. 'I guess we are probably kind of getting it back. Certainly when I was coming through amateur golf, the talent that we had in Scotland for whatever reason didn't end up making it on tour at that point. 'I think a few of those guys probably still could do it, but it's obviously nice that from my age group growing up, quite a lot of us have managed to get on tour and have won on tour, which is awesome. But, yeah, obviously with the home of golf, it definitely carries its pressures and trying to live up to that. Bob is obviously doing absolutely brilliantly and we are all trying to get, hopefully, to where he gets to.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The likes of Denmark, which has produced a whole host of DP World Tour winners in recent years, and Sweden are nations that seem to keep producing talented players on a constant basis, with Syme being asked if he had seen anything those countries do that Scotland doesn't. 'I'm not too sure,' he replied to that one. 'I think certainly from my point of view and I guess I can only speak about it from my experience with Scottish Golf, I think I got it really, really good. We had such amazing support, and if I'm honest, I didn't go to college in America because of the support Scottish Golf offered us. We'd spend eight weeks in South Africa and four weeks in the Middle East. In 2016, I won the Australian Amateur when I was out there for four weeks. Connor Syme landed his maiden DP World Tour win in the KLM Open last month |'I think that was a real exposure to what professional golf is like. I don't even play four or five weeks in a row now. But having that experience of being away for long periods of time helped me so much. That was definitely something I look back on as going, wow, that has really, really helped me to get on tour and understand what it's like. 'After I won the Australian Amateur, I played in the Joburg Open on the DP World Tour. These were all little milestones I wanted to try and expose myself to before turning professional. I played in The Open and Walker Cup and stuff like that. That was all stuff that I drew on to then turn pro and then start off quite well.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Due to a lack of funding, the aforementioned amateur-to-pro transition scheme is no longer in place, meaning the likes of Graham and Adam, both of whom have qualified for next week's 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, and Darling, who is set to turn professional after this week's European Women's Team Championship in France, are not as well prepared when the time comes to make the switch. 'It's obviously difficult because I don't know enough about what's happening, but I think I definitely benefitted a lot from that, for sure,' continued Syme. 'I know, there was SportScotland support and we had support from Johann Rupert (through the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation) to be able to do what we did back then. It's all money-related, really, what they can afford to do. I definitely did benefit from it. 'Obviously I had support from my parents as well and, when I didn't go to college in the US, my dad was like 'right, we're going to do this for four years like you're at college almost'. I was almost serving my apprenticeship of a wee amateur kind of trying to be a pro almost through that. Although I was still working at the range (Drumoig Golf Centre), I was practising and preparing like I would be like I am now. But definitely the funding and support that we had at that point was amazing and it would obviously be brilliant for the guys and girls coming through if they can get that back.' Bob MacIntyre celebrates after being crowned as the Genesis Scottish Open champion at The Renaissance Club 12 months ago | Getty Images
STV News
5 days ago
- Sport
- STV News
Connor Syme hopes his 'good golf can flourish' in front of home crowd
Connor Syme admits he already feels excited at the prospect of playing in front of home fans at the Scottish Open this week – and is aiming to build on last month's KLM Open triumph. The Scot celebrated his first European Tour win in Amsterdam but is back on home soil and looking to savour the experience at a tournament he feels is getting bigger by the year. Syme impressed at the Renaissance Club last year, finishing 15th, and witnessed the jubilation as fellow Scot Robert MacIntyre won the tournament. He says there was something special about the occasion and is looking forward to more of the same. 'It's obviously awesome,' he told STV. 'Just looking around, it's grown so much over the last four or five years especially. 'It's always been a massive tournament but it keeps going from strength to strength. It's just brilliant to be a part of it. 'The support, obviously from the Scottish fans is really cool. 'I finished well last year in 15th but watching Bob and the support he got, and that scene at the end, was just awesome. 'It's probably hard to replicate that anywhere in the world and it was just really, really cool.' The 29-year-old is now aiming to build on his success in the Netherlands and improve again in North Berwick, with the added incentive of possible qualification for The Open Championship if he is among the top three players who hasn't already booked their place for Royal Portrush. 'There's always something you want to achieve and I really, really want to play in The Open,' Syme admitted. 'There's no denying that and, the same as everyone teeing up this week, if you're not in already then that's definitely a goal. 'Hopefully I can play well. When I look back at my win in Holland, I was definitely brilliant at bringing myself back into the present. 'That's hopefully something I can carry on with this week and I'm hoping my good golf can flourish from there. 'It's all positives. It's been such an amazing feeling to get that first win and to come back here as a winner on tour is really special. 'I'm glad I got to play a tournament last week, though it didn't go quite as well as I liked, and hopefully I can build on the stuff that got me that win. 'I'm excited for this week. It's somewhere I have done well in the past and I'm excited to be back in Scotland.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Home stars confirmed for Scottish Championship at Trump International in Aberdeen
Ewen Ferguson and Connor Syme set to spearhead Scottish challenge in DP World Tour event Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Recent KLM Open winner Connor Syme and three-time DP World Tour champion Ewen Ferguson are set to spearhead the home challenge in the Scottish Championship this summer. The duo have been confirmed for the $2.75 million event at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire on 7-10 August along with former Genesis Scottish Open winner Rafa Cabrera Bello. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's fantastic to see the Scottish Championship return to the DP World Tour schedule and I can't wait to tee it up in front of the home crowds,' said Ferguson, who will defend his BMW International Open title in Munich next week. Recent KLM Open winner Connor Syme is looking forward to a home appearance in the Scottish Championship |'DP World Tour events in Scotland are always special for me and I'm very excited to see friends and family lining the fairways to cheer me on.' Syme landed his breakthrough win on the circuit after producing a polished performance to win the KLM Open earlier this month. He said of a home gig later in the summer: 'We always receive such incredible support whenever and wherever we play in Scotland, and I know we are all looking forward to playing in front of Scottish fans at a spectacular links venue in August.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ewen Ferguson, Calum Hill and Rafa Cabrera Bello have all been confirmed for the Scottish Championship | DP World Tour Fans can experience two weeks of world-class golf at the one venue, with the Legends Tour's Staysure PGA Seniors Championship being held the week prior to the Scottish Championship. Those who purchase a ticket to either the Scottish Championship or Staysure PGA Seniors Championship can receive a 25 per cent discount for a ticket to the other event.
Scotsman
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scotland's latest DP World Tour golf champion opens up on win
Scot praised by his caddie and fellow Dundee resident for keeping calm head in KLM Open Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... When you are recovering from a triple hernia operation, it might not be the best time to be jumping about a bit more than you probably should be, but Stuart Syme can surely be forgiven. It's not every day, after all, when you get to experience the joy and pleasure of seeing the person you've introduced to golf as a youngster then taught for so long landing what will be one of the most popular wins in the sport in 2025. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Connor Syme wouldn't have been crowned as the KLM Open champion on Sunday, landing his breakthrough win on the DP World Tour in the process and becoming the 11th first-time champion on the circuit this season, if it hadn't been for his old man. A promising player himself when he was coming through the ranks at Ladybank, Syme snr was the PGA professional at Dumfries & County Golf Club when Connor took up the game and, once his son had got hopes of becoming a footballer out of his system, golf then became his main focus. Connor Syme shows off the trophy after winning the KLM Open on Sunday at The International Golf Club in the Netherlands |Under his dad's guidance as a coach after the family had moved back to Fife when Stuart took up ownership of Drumoig Golf Centre, Syme won the 2016 Australian Amateur Championship before then landing a first success in the professional ranks in the Turkish Airlines Challenge in 2019. Since last year, Syme has also been working with Jamie Gough, the Fife-based brother of former Scotland and Rangers defender Richard, but there was absolutely no denying who was probably the happiest man in the world on Sunday afternoon. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I had a brief chat with my dad before I went in to see the volunteers,' Syme told The Scotsman as he reflected on his brilliant breakthrough win on the main tour after landing a two-shot success at The International in Amsterdam. 'He was absolutely buzzing as he's obviously been with me since the start of my golf career and taught me the game. 'He's had a triple hernia operation and I was saying to him that I hope you've not caused any damage, but he said that he was jumping up and down more than he probably should have been (laughing). It is so cool.' Over the past few years, Syme had seen Bob MacIntyre, David Law, Ewen Ferguson, Grant Forrest and Calum Hill all land maiden DP World Tour title triumphs while seeing some good opportunities to do likewise - he'd held a 54-hole lead on three previous occasions - agonisingly slip from his grasp. Connor Syme celebrated fellow Scot Calum Hill's success in the Joburg Open earlier in the year and now knows himself what it means to win on the DP World Tour | Getty Images At no point, however, did that look as though it was going to happen again after the 29-year-old hit the front in tough conditions in the Netherlands with a brilliant bogey-free 66 in Saturday's third round then signed off with a rock-solid 70 that contained just one dropped shot to win by two shots. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I felt really calm for the most part,' admitted Syme of his polished performance on the last day. 'Obviously there was a lot of nervous energy about, but I was quite pleased how I was able to put that into the right areas, I suppose, and just focus on the task at hand. 'I definitely felt different this time than when I had been in contention in the past. Probably more like Wales when I first had a really good opportunity to win back in 2020 (in the Celtic Classic. I thought I was going to win there and obviously I didn't. 'To have felt those emotions then, I was very cautious that it could happen again and things could all change so quickly. So, every time I found myself thinking about potentially winning on this occasion and what it could feel like, I kept reminding myself of that. 'Obviously me and Ryan [McGuigan, his caddie] have been together for such a long time that I knew it would mean so much and to the full team as well, but I did a really good job of staying in the present and that was the main difference.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Worth around £340,000, the win lifted Syme into the top 20 in the Race to Dubai Rankings, meaning he's put himself in the mix for a PGA Tour card for next season, while he also jumped nearly 120 spots to 145th in the Official World Golf Ranking. 'Obviously it opens up a few more doors for me as well and what lies ahead is super-exciting for me as we've got some amazing tournaments still to play this year,' he said of a schedule, of course, that will include a home appearance in the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club next month. 'Look, it is all amazing, but it's also about trying to enjoy the moment as well. I'm going to really try and enjoy this rather than thinking too far ahead.' Connor Syme and his caddie Ryan McGuigan celebrate after the Scot landed a breakthrough win on the DP World Tour on Sunday |McGuigan, who previously caddied for Stephen Gallacher and Richie Ramsay as well as Belgian Thomas Detry, has been on Syme's bag since October 2020 and, like his boss, lives in Dundee. 'He was really, really calm,' said McGuigan of how Syme handled the pressure of Sunday's closing circuit. 'I think he's probably just learned a bit, as all the guys do, from past disappointments. When things haven't gone his way, I think he has probably tried too hard or maybe when he's been in the final groups, he's felt he had to do something different to get over the line instead of just playing his own game. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think he was so focused last week on playing his own game and, especially on Sunday, not paying any attention to what anyone else was doing and, if he trusted his own game, it would be good enough to get the result he was looking for. 'Everyone's journey is different. For some, the first win comes really quickly whereas someone like Richard Bland, for example, had to wait a long time before winning and certainly winning breeds winning. It's about realising that you don't necessarily have to do anything remarkable; it's just doing the simple things well and that composure Connor showed over the weekend can only help him moving forward. 'I love working for him. We've developed a real close working relationship. We also live in the same city and we have a lot of mutual friends through golf and spend a bit of time together as well when we are not at work.
