Young Scot tipped for top after starring in The Open is back on track

In the crash, bang, wallop world we live in, everyone is looking for instant this or instant that and golfers are no different. After getting a lesson, club golfers want to see improvement straight away and professionals, of course, are no different.

There are times, though, when patience is required before progress can be made and goals achieved. Take Justin Rose, for instance. After turning professional on the back of a fantastic fourth-place finish in The Open at Royal Birkdale in 1998, the Englishman missed the cut in his first 21 consecutive events before finding his feet and going on to become a major winner, Olympic champion and multiple Ryder Cup player.

Like Rose, Sam Locke won the Silver Medal as leading amateur in The Open but, since achieving that feat at Carnoustie in 2018 and making the same immediate switch to the paid ranks, it’s been a slow burner for the 25-year-old from Stonehaven. He is the first to admit that he’s behind schedule in terms of progression, but maybe not for too much longer. Back-to-back wins in the opening two events - it could easily have been a hat-trick - on this season’s Tartan Pro Tour - have given him a commanding early lead in the battle for two cards up for grabs through the feeder circuit for next season’s Challenge Tour.

Sam Locke has made a flying start to the 2024 Tartan Pro Tour schedule, winning the first two events then finishing third in the next one. Picture: Tartan Pro Tour

“Yeah, absolutely,” said Locke, who first showed he had genuine talent when beating Ryan Lumsden 9&8 in the final of the 2017 Scottish Amateur Championship at Prestwick after being 10 up at the halfway stage, of having to show lots of patience in the early stages of his professional career. “I’m just learning more about myself and what works for me. Not only on the course but with my practice and other things. It does take time sometimes. Some people find out quicker than others, I suppose, but I’m just trying to do the best I can in every event and I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season by winning the first two events (the Montrose Links Masters and Portlethen Classic) and long may that continue.”

At the venue where Paul Lawrie, his mentor and manager, lifted the Claret Jug in 1999, Locke enjoyed a week to savour at Carnoustie, where he comfortably made the cut following two 72s then added a 70 before signing off with a 78 to finish joint-75th, one shot ahead of Cameron Smith, who, of course, won 150th edition at St Andrews four years later.

“It has flown by,” admitted Locke, who is coached by his dad and PGA professional, Andrew, of close to six years having passed. “We obviously had a year or a year and a half with no proper events due to Covid and I think that’s made it feels as though it’s passed by a little quicker than it has. I feel I am a lot more experienced now and know more about myself now, which helps a lot. I know what makes me play well and what I need to do at tournaments. It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing. It’s all up to me what I do and hopefully I’ll be a better player for it.”

Lawrie, for one, certainly thinks so. “I think it would be fair to say we all thought Sam would be further along the road than he is, but it’s not easy and there are lots and lots of very good players out there,” he said. “Sam has had a brilliant start to this year’s Tartan Pro Tour, which is great to see. There is still a long way to go and a lot can happen before the end of the season, but he’s in good shape so far. I’m confident he will get there and maybe it’s no bad thing that it hasn’t been that easy. He works hard and is very easy to work with as he’s always super appreciative of anything we do for him.”

Sam Locke shows off the trophy after making an eagle at the last hole to win the Portlethen Classic presented by Entier. Picture: Tartan Pro Tour

Locke, who has now six times in total on the circuit set up by Lawrie in 2020 to provide playing opportunities for Scottish-based professionals during the Covid pandemic before seeing it develop into an official feeder tour that is offering World Amateur Golf Ranking points for the first time this season, is aiming to be the player to beat once again in next week’s Newmachar Classic presented by Boskalis.

“Nothing major stands out, to be honest,” he replied to being asked what he felt had been the difference so far this season. “For me, the more I look into things and the more stuff I do, I think I start to overthink things. For me, what works best and what I am starting to find is just keeping things really simple. Over the winter, I never went away as I normally do. I just stayed at home and worked on a few things in my game. I was really hungry to get back when the weather started to pick up as I wasn’t able to play a whole lot over the winter.

“When I first turned pro, I did alright in a few Challenge Tour and main tour events. There’s obviously been highlights along the way so far, but I just want to start kicking on. It’s quite hard to stay patient when you feel you’ve got ability, especially when you start seeing guys you know that are playing at a higher level and you think to yourself ‘I can do that and I want to get there’. But I’m just trying to focus on myself and do my own little thing because that’s all I can control. I think my toughest opponent at times is me. If I can control myself and my emotions on the course, then it gives me a good chance.”