Trackman investment has paid off for Grant Forrest

Grant Forrest has boosted his hopes of being a European Tour card holder next season after joining Rory McIlroy as a Trackman owner.
Grant ForrestGrant Forrest
Grant Forrest

The Lothians star is sitting 13th in the Challenge Tour rankings – the top 15 at the end of the season secure step ups to the main Tour – after finishing second and joint-seventh in his past two outings on the second-tier circuit.

“I bought myself a Trackman recently as I reckoned it was a worthwhile investment and it hasn’t taken long for that decision to pay dividends,” said Forrest of every top golfer’s must-have accessory at the 
moment.

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Four-time major winner McIlroy spoke in Abu Dhabi earlier in the year about how he had used the launch monitor to sharpen up his wedge play over the winter.

Capital-based Richie Ramsay raked in £55,000 from his opening two events this year after he bought one and now Forrest is also using the hi-tech piece of equipment to get the best out of his game.

“My last two performances have left me in a good position for the rest of the Challenge Tour season, having finished second in Spain then joint-seventh in the Czech Republic,” he added.

“With a Trackman, it helps make you more focused when you are practising. You can have games with your wedges and that makes it more fun and also more productive.

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“There’s nothing worse than standing on a range and feeling you are just hitting balls for the sake of it while the other thing about a Trackman is that it helps you get really dialed in with distances.”

In his first full season as a professional, Forrest finished 34th in the Road to Oman after recording three top-five finishes. Now re-branded as the Road to Ras Al Khaimah, the 24-year-old Craigielaw player has shot up the standings over the past fortnight and is now determined to cement his position in the top 15 for the rest of the season.

“These last two weeks have been really good, so I’m happy how things are going for me,” he admitted. “But it is very early doors and it looks as though it will take ¤100,000, if not slightly more, to finish in the top 15 on the Challenge Tour rankings and secure a European Tour card for next season.

“I’m in a good position after getting off to a promising start and it’s about trying to keep my performances to a high level for the rest of the season. I’m in the Rolex Trophy, a limited-field event, and also in events later in the year in China and Kazakhstan, so that is pleasing at this stage of the season.

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“One of the events coming up that I am really looking forward to is the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge at Macdonald Spey Valley in Aviemore as it is always one of the best on the schedule.

“Soon after that I will also be trying to qualify for The Open at Carnoustie, with final qualifying for me this year taking place at the Renaissance Club.

“I’ll get to sleep in my own bed for that one and, though I’ve only played there once or twice since they made changes to it, I will be getting a couple of games when I have a week off after the Scottish Challenge.”