no matter who you are. The reason I left the US is because I realised every- thing I care about, everyone I love, is home in Scotland. There might come a time when I need to move back over, if it became easier on family logistics, and I’d suck it up and learn to deal with it. But right now, I don’t need to. My sister has three little ones, my mum and dad are in Oban, my girlfriend is working for the National Health Service in Glasgow. When I was in the States, the time difference made it hard. When I’m home in Scotland, I hard- ly play golf. I’ll do the odd thing in the simulator, putt indoors. For me, I’ve realised the mental side of the game is far more important than the physical. My swing technique doesn’t really change – I’ve got my basics. What does change is my mental attitude. When I’m in a good headspace at home, seeing friends and family, everything’s fine and there are no worries when I get to the golf course. I can perform. ● ● ● Then why do you think so many tour pros find Florida to be the perfect environment for their profession? Yeah, from a practice standpoint, it’s hard to beat the facilities and weather. But that doesn’t factor in what happens away from golf. Florida was too lonely, too business-like for me. Practice, golf, practice, eat, sleep. There needs to be a work-life balance. It’s really the same issue when we’re on the road, too, in America. There’s not as much chatting, socialising. When I play in Europe or Asia there’s this idea that we’re all in this together, experiencing new cultures together. This job is too hard to focus on all the time. I love what I do, but if I can’t do it with friends and family to come along for the ride, you question what it’s all for. Florida might be better for my game, but Scotland is better for my life, and I think that mind-set will help me have a better and more fulfilling career. ● ● ● What does a day off look like for you? Up around 8, 8.30, cup of coffee to start. After that it varies. If my nieces are off school or it’s the weekend, I spend a lot of time with them. It all revolves around family and friends. If I’m at home and I’m not with Shannon, I’m with my mum and dad or one of my sisters with the little ones. I’ve got to a point where I don’t really do things to please people outside that small circle. ● ● ● What has shinty given you that golf hasn’t? I don’t know if it teaches me something different so much as it’s made me the golfer I am. There’s a lot of aggression in the way I play and in my reactions to shots. Shinty has maybe helped me with discipline, with acceptance and with shaping the ball. You’ve got one stick – different lofts through different positions – and you might be hitting a pass 10 yards or trying to launch one 50 yards, so you’re constantly manipulating. But more than the technical stuff, I think it’s the team mentality and the never-give-up spirit. If you go one down, you’ve got to get it back. You’re always chasing, always trying your best. You never stop playing. ● ● ● What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had in a game? A broken toe. My Uncle Gordon lost his eye. I’ve always worn a helmet with metal guards and a glove on my right hand. I try to limit the risk. You can still get injured, I know that, but I do everything I can to prevent it. It’s something that’s been passed down through the generations of my family – and I just love it. ● ● ● Do the boys give you preferential treatment now? Potentially a little at training but that happens in any contact sport. Where people aren’t going full in the tackle. In games, there’s none of that. The thing is, if you go in 50 percent on a tackle, that’s when you get hurt. You’re better going in full tilt. If two players are both going 100 percent, there’s less chance of injury because they’re in close with less room for the stick to make contact. Within the team, the biggest thing is that you’ve got each others’ backs. I feel that in my golf team, too, with coaches, trainers, everyone. You look after each other and you don’t expose each other at the wrong times.
● ● ● That communal spirit must still seem like quite a contrast with professional golf, which can be isolating. Life on the road can be hard. It’s something I’ve had to learn. I remember in 2021 during COVID – we went to America for about 12 weeks. I played all my events, came back to Europe, and I was just having room service every night. I started struggling mentally. I didn’t enjoy it anymore, didn’t know if I wanted to keep doing it. ● ● ● Nobody prepares you for the hours between rounds, do they? Should be the easy part, yeah? People think
46 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JUNE 2026
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator