Lloyd Saltman still believes the great breakthrough will come but has one piece of advice for Bradley Neil: “always try to keep improving”.
Saltman, now 28 and a new father, was as celebrated a rising talent a decade ago as the new Amateur champion from Blairgowrie is now when he won a series of top amateur events, played two Walker Cups and won the Silver Medal with 15th place at the Open Championship in 2005.
However, Saltman has struggled since entering the pro ranks and needed an invitation just to play in the Scottish Hydro Challenge at Spey Valley as he has no playing rights even for the European Tour’s development circuit.
Saltman was always thought a “can’t miss” prospect but is now plying his trade on the third-tier EuroPro Tour, but has no regrets about the decisions he made.
“My ambitions haven’t changed,” he said. “I’m still trying to work hard and get better. There’s always rounds now and again that make you remember why you are doing this, all that it might take is one win to spark things.
“The great thing about golf is that you can change your career in one week and maybe this can be that week for me.”
Saltman’s best in the Amateur was a semi-final in 2007, two years after his Silver medal at St Andrews.
“I watched the Amateur on TV last week and it was brilliant. People often say to me ‘you should have turned pro after ’05 but it wasn’t in my plans at that time.
“I had a plan and I stuck to the plan. Whether it was the right one or the wrong one, who knows?
“I could have turned pro and Richie Ramsay could have after he won the US Amateur in 2006 but he stayed on and is having a great career on the European Tour.
“I’ve met Bradley before and the only advice I would give him is keep trying to improve. He looks like a great prospect.
“It’s great to see good young Scottish players coming through but you also want to see them being able to win by producing the goods when it matters.”
Lloyd’s perspective has been changed by his new son Max, but he still sees opportunity ahead.
“Having the wee one has changed things as far as perceptions are concerned. I’m happy with my situation,” he continued.
“This actually feels like the start of my season, even though it’s almost July. This is my third Challenge Tour event of the season and I’ve only played a couple of times on the EuroPro Tour.
“I’m hoping to get a couple of more Challenge Tour invites later in the year while after this I’ve got the Open Final Qualifying at Glasgow Gailes, which I’m looking forward to.
“I’m just happy to be playing and if I don’t get into Challenge Tour events I’ll go to the EuroPro instead and there are some events coming up on that in Scotland.
“You have to keep cracking on and looking at ways of trying to become better that’s what I’m trying to do.”
There are 23 Scottish players in the field at Spey Valley, ranging from former tour winners Scott Drummond and Raymond Russell to former tour players like Saltman, his brother Elliot, Callum Macaulay and George Murray, to prospects like Northern Open winner David Law.
The best placed Scot on the Challenge Tour this year is Scott Henry, currently third and well-placed to regain the Tour card he lost last year by finishing within the top 20, but the next best is Law at 60th.
Fife’s Murray and Jamie McLeary are past winners of the title, while last year American Brooks Koepka, who finished fourth in the US Open a fortnight ago, won his third Challenge Tour title of the season to gain an automatic card for the main tour.
Germany’s Moritz Lampert, with two wins in the 10 events played so far, has the chance to emulate Koepka this week.