Scotland’s major stakeholders in supporting young golfers turning to the pro ranks have come together to back a new scheme to create an “umbilical cord” for their first years on tour.
Corporate sponsors Aberdeen Asset Management and SSE Scottish Hydro have joined with governing body Scottish Golf and leading management company Bounce Sports to provide backing for two young Scots starting out in their debut seasons on the Challenge Tour, former Walker Cup stars Grant Forrest and Ewen Ferguson.
All the stakeholders have previously been involved in different schemes to back professionals attempting to reach the European Tour with Forrest and Ferguson only last year getting help in their final years as amateurs on a joint programme between Bounce and Scottish Golf.
Many of those schemes will continue in tandem but now Iain Stoddart of Bounce has brought together both Aberdeen Asset – who sponsor both men’s and women’s Scottish Opens as well as the international amateur teams and many individual players – and SSE Scottish Hydro, who have backed a number of Scots gain promotion to the main European Tours on their long-running Team Hydro initiative.
“Historically Aberdeen and Hydro in their own ways have been huge supporters of Scottish golf but probably haven’t done much together,” said Stoddart. “Now along with Scottish Golf we’ve brought it all together so everyone is communicating and we push the top amateurs in the country forward with everything we have to help them.
“Hopefully gives Grant and Ewen and those who come along after every chance of succeeding in what has been, historically, a very fragile stage of their careers.
“This initiative is a sort of umbilical cord. Once the player gets to the main tour you can cut that cord, introduce new sponsors and let them fly.”
The duo will get logistical and travelling support and eight guaranteed Challenge Tour starts a year each. Forrest finished with a highly creditable tied fifth in his season opener in Turkey at the weekend, and both he and Ferguson are set to play in the co-sanctioned Open de Portugal in a fortnight.
Stephen Docherty of Aberdeen Asset, who is also on Scottish Golf’s Performance Committee, said that the backing was not a “golden egg” for all amateur players seeking to turn professional.
“We wanted a roadmap set out for players to follow which included a more professional approach while the players were amateur,” he said. “The scheme that Bounce ran with Scottish Golf last year was just that, and this is an obvious next step.
“This isn’t a golden egg that everyone will get, it’s got to be earned as an amateur to then progress into this scheme. Each year will be taken on its merits – there could be years when no-one gets the backing.”
Colin Banks, head of sponsorship with SSE, said that this kind of co-operation was “unique in Scottish sport”.
“We’re involved in a lot of sports and commercial partners coming together to with a governing body to prepare and nurture young talent like this is really exciting,” he said. “It’s always better to unite in strength and that’s what’s happening.
“To me it’s a green shoot, a starting point and who knows where it will lead. Every year it could be two people, three people, one or even none. We want the flexibility to help the best young golfers, we produce, men and women, to succeed.”
Governing body Scottish Golf has previously only given peripheral support to its former players who have left the amateur ranks but chief executive Blaine Dodds said that they wanted to increase involvement.
“We make a big investment in players from a young age, and it’s pointless to do that and then simply walk away when they turn professional,” he said.
“To see that investment into a return, we not only have to make the guys into the best possible amateurs they can be but also put them in the best possible place to perform after that.
“We can’t be successful in isolation, we need to work together. Thanks to the support of SSE Hydro, Aberdeen Asset and Bounce we can do this together. It’s a big step forward for that.”
