Scott Jamieson feels he is ready to take the next step at the Johnnie Walker Championship that will lead him back to Gleneagles just over a year from now.
The Scot finished with his first top 30 in a major at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill two weeks ago and now knows what it will take to force his way into a home Ryder Cup appearance when the matches come to Perthshire in September next year.
The points race for Gleneagles starts next week in Wales but victory at the site of the matches would be the perfect springboard, he believes.
“I’m looking to carry on a bit from what I did in the States,” he said on arriving at the PGA Centenary Course. I definitely played well over there but there is also room for improvement.
“I got a bit of confidence, knowing that I can play in that environment, against the best players in the world and while I played well at times it was noticeable to me that there are areas where I can improve.
“I think that’s encouraging, that I can finish in the top 30 of a major and still feel like I wasn’t really firing on all cylinders.”
The next step is to move up from his present position of 105th on the world rankings towards the top 50, where Ryder Cup points become more readily available.
“My goal now is just to finish as high up the Race to Dubai as I can,” he continued.
“The higher you finish, the more doors open for you. Obviously it would be a dream to play in any Ryder Cup, let alone one in your own country, but a lot depends on how I play for the remainder of this year.
“If you are not in the top 50 come the turn of the year, you’re not getting to play in the big events. But it gets tighter, even if you’re about 70th in the world.
“You could win a pretty big tournament and maybe not make the top 50. It gets harder to climb the rankings because the guys already inside the top 50 are always ticking over.”
Getting in there would mean more experiences like Oak Hill, which was so good for Jamieson who spent four years studying at Augusta State University that he didn’t even mind the “mashed potato” routine of the home crowds.
“Playing in America a lot more is definitely a goal, and last week was great fun,” he said.
“The crowds were phenomenal and I thought it was great fun playing in front of that many people, they were just so loud.
“It’s fun when you hole a putt and there are big roars as it makes you feel good about yourself. You hole a 30-footer here sometimes and it’s one man and his dog.
“All those shouts they do after hitting shots like mashed potato and Chewbacca, that’s all new to me, so I find it funny. They do shout ‘get in the hole’ right away, maybe a bit too early sometimes.
“I can see why some people get annoyed, the guys who have been used to it for years. But, for now, I quite enjoy it.”
Anstruther’s George Murray became the 26th Scot in the Johnnie Walker field.
Invitations into the £1.4 million event include former Walker Cup star Wallace Booth, and eight Tartan Tour pros are playing as well as two amateurs, Scottish champion Zander Culverwell and order of merit leader Graeme Robertson.