You’ve got to aim high in this game. After a breakthrough rookie season on the DP World Tour that was burnished by a brace of victories, Ewen Ferguson is now setting his sights on the Ryder Cup.
Given the strides he has made in 2022, the Bearsden golfer’s lofty ambitions are fully justified. His inclusion this week in a strong GB&I side for January’s inaugural Hero Cup against the Continent of Europe in Abu Dhabi underlined the young Scot’s growing stature.
The match is being used as a valuable trial run for potential Ryder Cup players. Luke Donald, the European skipper, has picked both teams for the Hero Cup as he continues his preparations for the main event with the USA in Rome next September.
Ferguson, who revelled in the cut-and-thrust of team golf as an amateur, is now relishing the prospect of proving his worth as a pro alongside Ryder Cup players Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton.
“The Hero Cup is going to be incredible,” said Ferguson. “Being in a team with Tommy (Fleetwood), Tyrrell (Hatton) and Shane Lowry and playing against the likes of (Alex) Noren and Francesco Molinari is going to be really cool. It’s something to really drive me towards hopefully getting in the Ryder Cup team in September. I’m going to aim for it for September and if I don’t make it, then I’ll go for the next one in two years’ time. But I feel if I’m playing well, I can make it.”
Having pulled two tour wins out of the bag this season – he won in Qatar and Northern Ireland and was runner-up in Denmark – Ferguson was given the opportunity to pull a few numbered balls out of the bag when he made the fourth round draw for the Scottish Cup.
“It was nerve-wracking to make sure I said the right numbers but overall it was a great experience and it was pretty cool to pull out the Edinburgh Derby first as well,” said the avid Rangers fan after setting up a Hearts versus Hibs showdown.
