Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!
Calum Scott says he got emotional approaching the final hole knowing that he had done enough to win the Silver Medal at The Open.
The 20-year-old from Nairn was the lowest scoring amateur player at The Open at Royal Troon to claim the historic medal on Sunday afternoon.
Scott finished the tournament on +8, three strokes ahead of fellow amateur qualifiers Jacob Skov Olesen of Denmark and Tommy Morrison of the United States to win the Silver Medal.
He says he couldn’t help but get emotional towards the end of his round knowing that he had done enough.
Speaking on The Open website, he said: “I could hear all my friends and family and people I know through golf out there.
“The support has been brilliant.
“My caddie and assistant coach said to me to ‘soak this in’ on the 18th.
“I pretty much had it at that point so he was just like soak it in. I did and the last 100 yards walking, I got kind of emotional.
“But I still had two putts to hit so I couldn’t fully, but I was embracing it. It was just amazing and I will definitely cherish it for a lifetime.”
Scott made an impressive start to his Open campaign, finishing the first round on level par (71). A tough second round saw him finish on +4, but he had done enough in the first round to give him a cushion to make the cut at +6.
His best performance came in the third round when he recorded -1 (70) to leave him on +3.
A tough final round saw him record +5 to end up on +8 for the tournament, but still three strokes clear of his nearest amateur challengers.
Scott was one of 12 amateurs to qualify for The Open and he was delighted that he came out on top.
“I am super happy, relieved as well. I made it tough for myself coming in, but I am super happy to be the low amateur for this event.
“The first nine holes I played really well, I could have taken a few more opportunities but overall even par wasn’t too bad for the front nine.
“The wind has been different pretty much every day and it was just side winds through every hole. But I made it tough for myself on the back nine.
“It is one of the highest honours you can win as an amateur. To be able to make the cut because, first of all, you have to make the cut to win this award.
“And to beat out 11 other amateurs, I am very proud of myself for that and to compete in a tournament like The Open is just amazing.”
Scott joins the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose among the famous names to win the Silver Medal.
After he finishes his final year at Texas Tech University, studying Sports Management, the former Nairn Academy pupil says that he will seriously consider progressing into professional golf.
Speaking on The Open website, he said: “There’s been a bunch of Silver Medal winners go on to do incredible things,” he said.
“I am not exactly sure what this will do, obviously I have got a year left at college, but it does a lot for my amateur career, and it helps me in the next year as I transition maybe into pro golf.
“It is a really cool accolade to have and to join some big names.”