Connor Syme hopes big Scottish Open week will bring him out of a 'storm'
Fife-based player among six Scots teeing up in Rolex Series event at The Renaissance Club
Connor Syme is heading into the Genesis Scottish Open feeling he’s in a “bit of a storm” but is hoping he can rise to the challenge against some of the world’s best players.
The Fife-based player is among six Scots teeing up in the Rolex Series event at The Renaissance Club, where world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and second-ranked Rory McIlroy head a star-studded field.
Syme landed his maiden DP World Tour win in the KLM Open just over a year ago but has had the wind taken out of his sails by a recent rough patch, which included a spell out injured.
“It has been so frustrating the last year, to be honest,” he admitted. “You feel like at the time, you would trade the consistency I had for a win then you go on the flip side of it and think differently.
“Yeah, I’m definitely going through a bit of a rough patch on the golf course. Really not scoring great, but hopefully a week like this can see me return to form.
“It feels like we are in a bit of a storm at the moment. Some weeks it feels like I am parting it then last week again it wasn’t so good. Sometimes I come off the course at the moment scratching my head about some of the scores.”
Syme is flying the Saltire at the East Lothian venue along with 2024 winner Bob MacIntyre, Grant Forrest, Ewen Ferguson, Calum Hill and Scott Jamieson.
“It’s a tough game,” he added. “I think the margins are very small and obviously you are playing against the best players in the world every week.
“If you are not quite scoring great, you could be found out. Yeah, it’s just not been happening for me at the moment, but I am seeing good signs.”
In addition to playing for a $9 million prize fund, three spots in next week’s 154th Open at Royal Birkdale are also up for grabs over the next four days as the Dirleton venue stages an event co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and PGA Tour for the eighth year in a row.
“I’m obviously looking to turn my season around a bit, but there’s so much amazing stuff that can happen here this week and I’ve had good weeks here in the past, so hopefully I can feed off that,” said Syme. “It’s a course I know well and I am looking forward to that side of things.”
The 30-year-old, who is preparing to become a new parent with wife Alanis in November, has made some changes in recent months.
“Yeah, I’ve gone from having a very small team to having what at the back end of last year was a very big team. Now I’ve stripped it back a bit,” he revealed.
After having Ryan McGuigan on his bag for more than five years, Syme has one of his best friends, Jordan Brown, on caddying duties for the first time this week.
“Ryan stopped with me a few weeks ago after Turkey,” he said. “I’ve only ever had three caddies and Ryan had been with me for five-and-a-half years.
“Since I finished with Ryan, I’ve had one guy for one week and another guy for two weeks.
“I felt this was a good opportunity to try out different things and see what I am looking for. I’m not really sure what that is, to be honest, but it’s a chance to try different guys and see what I can get from it.
“Jordan and I have been best friends since we were kids. He works for my dad now (at Drumoig Golf Centre). He plays on the Tartan Tour and also played on the Tartan Pro Tour last year. My dad has given him the week off to come down here and caddie for me.”