Thomas Bjorn tells Grant Forrest: You’ll go far because you hate playing poorly

Ryder Cup-winning captain Thomas Bjorn believes Grant Forrest can become a European Tour star after watching the Lothians man kick up a desert storm through being angry with himself.

The pair played in the same group in the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship a fortnight ago and, though not at his best, Bjorn was still impressed by Forrest’s game.

As well as telling the 26-year-old that, he also offered Forrest some valuable advice as he still learns the ropes in just his second season on the European Tour.

“I had a frustrating day and lost my head a little bit,” said Forrest as he prepared for his latest event, this week’s Saudi International. “He was like, ‘you’ll go far because you hate playing poorly’.

“He told me to keep plugging away because the weeks that go your way, you just have to be ready, and the others you just have to keep grinding.

“He said that you have exceptions with Tiger [Woods] and Rory [McIlroy], but guys don’t play well too often in terms of scores. If you have four big weeks in a year, that’s all you really need to do, and it was good to hear that from someone like him.”

Forrest, who is among nine Scots in this week’s $3.5 million event at Royal Greens on the Red Sea coast, has got off to a good start with his new caddie, John McClure.

“It is going well so far,” he added. “I gave him a hard time on Sunday in the windy conditions for the final round in Dubai, but it wasn’t personal. A day like that must be a caddie’s nightmare as well as a player’s nightmare.”

■ Turnhouse amateur Euan McIntosh is still on course to secure a full card for the 2020 Staysure Tour

despite slipping from first to third after the third round in the circuit’s Qualifying School in Portugal.