Scottish golfing brothers' bid for dream double foiled as one clinches spot in The Open but other slips back in Canada

Calum Scott’s hopes that his big brother, Sandy, could make it a weekend to cherish for their family were dashed by a disappointing last day for the latter in Canada.

Twenty-four hours after Calum secured an Amateur Series exemption for the season’s final major, Sandy shared the lead heading into the final round of the ATB Classic, an event on the PGA Tour Americas taking place in Canada.

However, his bid to land a breakthrough win on the PGA Tour feeder circuit fizzled out as a closing 81, which came out of nowhere really, left him having to settle for a share of 33rd spot as the title went to Dane Frederik Kjettrup.

Nairn's Calum Scott pictured during the quarter-finals in the recent Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin Golf Club. Picture: Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images.

“Hopefully he can get it over the line and it would be a good last couple of days for the Scotts,” said Calum, who not only followed in the footsteps of Sandy by coming through the ranks at Nairn but also copied his college career by heading to Texas Tech, earlier in the day and it’s certainly been a good few weeks for him.

He finished joint-second in the St Andrews Links Trophy, reached the last eight in the Amateur Championship and then, on Saturday, finished joint-fourth in the European Amateur Championship.

Those three events formed ‘The Open Amateur Series’, with Scott finishing at the top of the standings to join Bob MacIntyre on the exempt list for the Claret Jug event in Ayrshire.

“It’s really nice to get rewarded for consistent good play,” said Scott, who flew the Saltire along with Blairgowrie’s Connor Graham in last year’s Walker Cup at St Andrews.

“It’s obviously hard to win outright and get those exemptions that come with The Amateur and the European Amateur, so it is nice not to win but still be rewarded at the same time.”

An eye-catching burst of form that also included a strong finish to the US college campaign has lifted the 20-year-old to 17th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

“It’s always pleasing when you are able to play good in the States and then come back to links golf and still perform at a solid level and compete and be in contention against these guys and I feel I am in a great spot going forward for this next run of events and The Open as well,” he added.

“I’ve actually never played at Royal Troon so I am excited to be heading there. I’ve heard some great things from a whole bunch of people who have played it.”

Before turning his thoughts to Troon, Scott will be hoping to get Scotland in the medal mix in the European Men’s Team Championship, which is taking place in Italy in just over a week’s time.

“You know, I am committed to playing for Scotland so I am going to go and tee it up in the European Teams,” he declared. “I know it is quite a lot of golf to play, but this is the sport I chose to play so I am going to go to Italy to play.”

California-based Niall Shiels Donegan, who was unlucky to miss out on one of the six spots for the event in Turin, finished as the next best Scot on the Open Amateur Series points list, followed by the aforementioned Graham.