3 things I learned playing in my national championship

Cameron Adam is the new Scottish Amateur champion and, while I played in the same competition as him, that’s where the similarities end.

Adam, the first left-hander to win the event since Robert MacIntyre in 2015, ran rings around the field in strokeplay qualifying – he shot two course records of 63 without making a bogey – and eventually came out on top in the match play.

I, meanwhile, did nothing of the sort. A first round of 78 at Tain followed by a second round of 77 at Royal Dornoch isn’t anything to write home about and I ended up ten shots shy of the cut-off mark for the knockouts. For a four handicapper, those scores are respectable but, at this level, just won’t cut it.

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Still, it wasn’t a completely wasted exercise.

Over the two practice rounds and two competitive rounds, a few things stood out as to why the good players, the kind of golfers who win club championships, are at the level they are. Natural ability plays a big part, of course, but I believe there are some things they just do better than the rest of us.

Here’s are three of my biggest takeaways…

Six matches won, two course records broken, one incredible week for our champion 🏆🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 pic.twitter.com/CDRDgQpFGu

— Scottish Golf (@ScottishGolf) August 6, 2023

1. Distance isn’t everything, but it’s a lot

I know I’m not the longest hitter of the golf ball and that certainly shows at this level. According to Shot Scope (I’ve been tracking my competitive rounds through their app this season), my average with the driver is 259 yards. That’s not bad but it’s not really far enough.

The issue was apparent in my first practice round at Royal Dornoch. Playing with a young guy called Corey Edgar, I was consistently 50 yards or so behind him off the tee.

Edgar, who is originally from Elgin but is now gearing up for his first season of college golf in the USA, is only 17 and was comfortably getting the ball out around 300 yards off the tee. Granted, that was helped by Royal Dornoch’s firm fairways but it doesn’t matter how you cut it – that’s a long way.

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The thing is, that kind of distance isn’t the exception at this stage; it’s the norm. I might be able to beat Edgar on some holes but, over 36, if we both play our best, he’s going to beat me virtually every time. The first par-5 of the round, the ninth, was telling. While I had a fairway wood into the green, he had a short iron.

More incredible scoring on day two of the Scottish Men's Amateur stroke play qualifying as golfers fought to get inside the cutline and progress to match play 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏆🏌️‍♂️

Scores from @RoyalDornochGC & @TainGolfClub 👇https://t.co/n0eZjbxdlB#ScottishMensAmateur2023 pic.twitter.com/SHl9Nlx9Zs

— Scottish Golf (@ScottishGolf) August 2, 2023

In the tournament rounds, it was a similar story. I was almost always the first to hit my approach, unless one of my playing partners (shout-out to Andrew and Jack) hit something less than driver off the tee.

If you’re reading this Dr Golf, I think we have some work to do.

2. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

Having grown up in Inverness, I had played both courses several times in junior opens and regional events. I really thought that bit of local knowledge would be worth a few strokes over the rest of the field. In the end, I don’t think it helped at all.

Not only are scratch golfers great at hitting shots, they know how to get the ball around the course.

Practice rounds at this level are exactly that: practice rounds. It’s pretty rare for anyone to keep a score. Instead, it’s all about doing your homework.

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On both practice days, my playing partners and I stood on the green and thought about the best way to play each hole.

Where’s the best place to miss? What hazards need to be avoided? How does wind direction change the hole? How will pin position change the hole? What side of the fairway makes for the easiest approach shot? Is the green firmer or softer than others on the course?

On the par-3s at Royal Dornoch, the question was: how do we avoid making double-bogey?

Scottish Golf handed out blank yardage books at the start of the week and I can almost guarantee that anyone who went deep into the competition had filled theirs full of notes as the week went on.

The par-3s at Royal Dornoch. Top quality. pic.twitter.com/lREBiRYqRQ

— Lewis Fraser (@lewisfras98) July 30, 2023

3. You can’t wilt under the pressure

This factor is the hardest one to describe but it might be the most important. If you go on social media while a golfer is performing well under extreme pressure, you’ll probably see the phrase, “they have that dog in them.”

Basically, in those ‘fight or flight’ scenarios, they fight. Every time.

On the first tee of my second round, I wasn’t particularly nervous. I knew that, barring a minor miracle, I wasn’t going to make the matchplay stages. If I had been near the cut line, I know for a fact I’d have been a lot more anxious. That’s fine, but the second it starts negatively impacting your performance, it’s a big problem.

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For some, however, it goes the opposite way. Take Craig Pirie from Millport, for example. Through 12 holes of his second round, he was eight-over for the tournament, comfortably the wrong side of the number he needed to get to. He knew he needed two, possibly even three, birdies over his last six holes to be play any further part in the week.

Doesn’t get much better… pic.twitter.com/8o8lkE6pik

— Lewis Fraser (@lewisfras98) July 30, 2023

Sure enough, he picked up a shot at the par-5 13th, followed by two more at the tricky 14th and 15th holes. Three pars followed and he was in on the number. That’s clutch.

Being able to produce your best golf under that kind of pressure is very hard to teach. In my eyes, it’s also essential to have if you want to do well at a high level of golf.

If that was me in Craig’s shoes, it would have been a very different outcome. Again, something to work on.

There’s always next year, right?

Featured image credit: Scottish Golf

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor