and they’re not going to ask me unless it was planned well in advance. Elijah Craig (bourbon brand) has been brilliant. I’ve genuinely enjoyed learning about the family history and the story of the distillery burning down. When their people came to Oban and my mum made them rolls it didn’t feel like an obligation, it just felt like a good day. For media, I don’t do much. I’ll do things with people who actually go to events, travel and follow the sport properly. If someone pops up out of nowhere wanting your time, there needs to be investment on their end. And the social media stuff I manage myself. I just have a laugh with it. ● ● ● What have the successes of the past few years taught you about yourself? I still don’t know how good I can get. What Scottie is doing right now is outra- geous. How good is that guy? We can all shoot eight, nine under on our day. But the consistency, the work ethic, the structure of what he and Ted have built – that’s a different level. I’ve learned so much from watching the best, but not in the sense of copying what they do. Whenever I’m on the range with someone better than me, I ask myself, Why are they better? What are they doing? The last two years have accelerated that because I’ve been playing against the best in the world every single week. ● ● ● Circling back to Oakmont and that viral clip of you clapping for J J Spaun as he makes the 65-footer to beat you. What was going through you mind? When I finished, I felt I’d done everything I could. My thinking was, if you shoot level par for four days, you win this golf tournament, hands down. We were lucky there was no wind and it was wet – if that place had stayed firm with a bit of breeze, 10 over par was going to win. Standing over that two and a half, three-foot putt on 18, in my head was I think this is to win the US Open. Then I just waited to see what unfolded. J J was having a nightmare of a day until the rain. There were so many water balls – the place was flooded. When I was in the middle of the fairway on 18 I couldn’t get a ruling, so I just hit the 7-iron. I thought I’d chunked it 30 yards but watched it fly to the middle of the green. When Viktor hit his approach just outside J J’s, I knew J J would get a read and use it to help – and he did. He holes it. If I’d hit my target, I still wouldn’t have won. If I’ve made a mess of things, I go crazy. You might see me on TV shouting, swearing, smashing my bag – that’s because I’m annoyed at my- self, not at anyone else. But when someone outperforms you, you take your hat off and say well done. I’ll also say, there’s a recipe to winning majors and I feel like I’ve started to work it out. You don’t have to be brilliant from the start. You hang around, stay in it with five holes to go – and then it’s anyone’s because the pressure just builds. You need a bit of luck, too. I’m confident I’ve got the game. I want to go out and win one, but if the door opens, I’ll be happy to walk through it. ● ● ● Thirty years from now, what do you want people to say about you? That he won a major. If I’ve won one major, won the Scottish Open, won
● ● ● Why didn’t you jump?
Didn’t want to compromise my dream. My dream was to play Ryder Cups. I’ve done that. I’ve only got one dream left, and that’s winning a major. Once I do that, I could happily walk away the next day. The mon- ey we’re playing for on the PGA Tour is still extraordinary. I still have a great relation- ship with the DP World Tour. Tyrell is some- one I could call right now and ask anything. At the end of the day, the good people are still good people whether they went to LIV or stayed. There are guys on the PGA Tour I don’t particularly like, either. I’m not on any boards: I’m not getting involved. I’m just going to get the ball in the hole in as few shots as I can every week and go back to Scotland. ● ● ● Golf has more country club DNA in America. You grew up in a very differ- ent golf world than the one you’re com- peting in now. Do you ever still feel like an outsider? I still feel it sometimes in certain places, like I’m walking on eggshells. The country club atmosphere isn’t comfortable for me. As long as you’re not wearing football tops and causing havoc, I think you should be able to do roughly what you want within the etiquette of the game. I really mean it when I say being an ambassador for Discovery Land Company is a good fit. Their proper- ties are some of the most opulent and luxu- rious in the world, like this castle, but you can pitch up in gym shorts to the bar if you want. I played golf with the founder, Mike Meldman, at The American Express Pro- Am a few years ago and we hit it off. The atmosphere he promotes appeals to me. ● ● ● As your profile grows, how do you protect what matters to you? Again, the relationships with the sponsors I have are honest – it’s not just black and white on paper. If I’m home for a week, I’m probably not doing a sponsor appearance,
two Ryder Cups – from a golf stand- point, that’s a career you’d look back on and say he was a great golfer. But more than that, I’d hope people say he was a good person. He was pas- sionate on the course but away from it he was decent. He gave back to the people who helped him and to the community he came from. Selfishly though, I don’t really worry about what other people think. I just want a happy life, a healthy family and to have achieved my dreams.
‘THERE ARE GUYS ON THE PGA TOUR I DON’T PARTICULARLY LIKE, EITHER. I’M NOT ON ANY BOARDS. I’M NOT GETTING INVOLVED. I’M JUST GOING TO GET THE BALL IN THE HOLE IN AS FEW SHOTS AS I CAN EVERY WEEK, AND GO BACK TO SCOTLAND.’
50 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRIC A
JUNE 2026
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