Genesis Scottish Open is Last Chance Saloon for five Scots in bid to tee up in 154th Open
Calum Hill among home players aiming to produce big performance in Genesis Scottish Open
Calum Hill, now living in the US as a Green Card holder, is among five Scots entering the ‘Last Chance Saloon’ in a bid to bolster a paltry Caledonian contingent in next week’s The 154th Open.
Only Bob MacIntyre, who was exempt after finishing in the top ten at Royal Portrush last year, and Jack McDonald, who came through Final Qualifying last week, are currently set to fly the Saltire in the Claret Jug event at Royal Birkdale.
But, with three spots up for grabs in this week’s Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, there’s still a chance that they could be joined in the line up for the final men’s major of the season at the Southport venue.
Grant Forrest, who missed out in the Final Qualifying at Dundonald Links last Tuesday, is getting another roll of the dice, with Hill, Ewen Ferguson, Connor Syme and Scott Jamieson the other home players who are teeing up on the East Lothian coast with an added incentive to produce a big week.
“This is the Last Chance Saloon,” declared Hill, speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News on Monday. “I was thinking about doing Open Final Qualifying, but it is just tough on a Tuesday and Munich (venue for last week’s BMW International Open) is such a good week.”
The two-time DP World Tour winner headed into that event with a chance of securing one of five spots up for grabs through a mini-DP World Tour Order of Merit only to see to places go to Hennie Du Plessis, Bernd Wiesberger, Jayden Schaper, Andy Sullivan and Dan Bradbury.
“I tried to get it done there,” added Hill. “I think I needed a top five or a good week to sneak one of those five cards, but I didn’t manage to do it. A lot of people here are already in The Open, so a strong week to get in the top 15 might give you a chance.”
Fife-born Hill had been living in Perthshire but has now moved to Phoenix with his American wife Miranda and son Josh, who was born a few weeks ago.
“It’s nice to be back,” he admitted, smiling. “This is the first year I’ve not really been in Scotland since last October. I got my Green Card at the end of last year, so I’ve been with Miranda and now Josh. I’ve officially emigrated and we are living over there now. I’m travelling back and forth to play in events.”
MacIntyre talked earlier in the year about how he’s trying to adapt to being a new dad after the birth of his son Findlay earlier this year and Hill knows exactly what he was getting at.
“I’ve been home as much as I’ve been away,” he said. “He’s coming up for 12 weeks old and I think I’ve been at home for five or six weeks and away for five or six weeks. It is just all the things - exciting, fun and stressful (smiling).
“It does change your ability to do things. I mean, I can’t do everything I want to now. You just have to change the timings of things. I think this part is obviously a tricky bit where you are getting used to him and he’s getting used to you.
“They are meant to be coming here. They were meant to be flying in tonight, but they had delayed flights then a cancellation, so now they are going to be arriving on Thursday morning.”
Hill, who lost out in a play-off in Bahrain earlier in the season, heads into this week’s home gig sitting 16th in the Race to Dubai, meaning a strong second half to the year could see him have a PGA Tour ticket in his hand for next season.
“Obvciously the form has been decent, so I am looking forward to hopefully have a nice week - it should be fun,” he said. “My game’s been been steady. Definitely much more what I would like to see. There’s a lot more consistency just on the general scoring side. I’m quite happy with it and I am hoping I can get all factors together for once.
“I had a little spell at the start of the year where things clicked. Since then, it’s been really good apart from missing a good Sunday here or there. Or short game didn’t show up one week or driver didn’t show up one week. But it’s been steady.”
Playing in the same group as Padraig Harrington, Hill opened with a 65 in this event last year to sit just one shot off the lead after the first circuit only to then miss the cut following a second-round 77.
“Last year I had a great start but then had a really tough second round, when I fell away and missed the cut, which was a bit of a shame,” he admitted. “It’s a course where I’ve had spells of good stuff on, so I am looking forward to it.”
Walking on to the range just after world No 1 Scottie Scheffler had arrived to start his preparations for this week, Hill added: “It’s definitely a bigger event than we are used to (on the DP World Tour). There are players here we don’t regularly see, so it is nice to be in and about competing against them.”