When Visit Scotland sent me a message, inviting me to play in the Genesis Scottish Open pro-am, I couldn't believe it was real. Me, a beginner golfer, teeing it up alongside the pros? It seemed too good to be true.
Despite the doubts and fears that crept in, I knew that this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
Over the last year of golfing, I had played numerous courses and experienced my fair share of bad shots, so the thought of making mistakes didn't faze me anymore. Besides, I had recently embraced a new philosophy of saying yes to every opportunity that came my way.
As I arrived at the prestigious Renaissance Club, my excitement soared when I spotted a caddie's bib with my surname. It made me feel like golfing royalty.
Instead of heading straight to the pro range where the greatest golfers on Earth were practising (I couldn’t face hitting a ball next to them), I chose the putting green. Little did I know, I would still have a remarkable encounter.
As I tapped in a great putt, I glanced over and realised that Scottie Scheffler was putting next to me. My inner fangirl erupted with excitement. I managed to snap a photo with him, and that moment alone felt surreal.
But now, it was time to face the main event—the tee time.
Standing on the tee box, my heart raced with nerves as the starter called out our names one by one. With shaky hands, I managed to launch a decent drive, and a wave of relief washed over me.
The format for the day was a "Tour Scramble," where each team played from the best drive, and only birdies or better counted toward the score. My group was paired with Keith Mitchell for the first nine holes and Ewen Ferguson for the second.
Watching Keith play was mesmerising. His meticulous approach to each shot, analysing every aspect from club selection to wind direction, taught me the importance of patience and careful assessment. I realised I needed to take much more time to analyse my own shots.
The first couple of holes went smoothly for me, without any major blunders. However, the low point of my round came on the third hole when I embarrassingly topped the ball. It was an unfortunate swing that happened to be captured on video from multiple angles, serving as a humbling reminder that I am nowhere near pro level.
On the 10th hole, there was a change of pros and Ewen joined the team. Every single drive he hit was straight, powerful and what felt like miles down the fairway.
Our team's morale was high, and we found ourselves playing with ease and scoring well. Yet, it was the 13th hole that etched itself into my memory forever.
With the iconic Visit Scotland sign as a backdrop, I unleashed my best drive of the day, landing it about 15 feet from the green. It was a shot that earned our team three net birdies, and the elation I felt in that moment was indescribable.
During the 9 holes with Ewen, a peculiar sight caught my attention. I noticed a large black disc placed on the green as we approached to putt. Curiosity got the better of me, and I turned to my caddie, jokingly asking if Ewen had poor eyesight and needed an oversized ball marker.
My caddie erupted in laughter and explained that the discs were markers used to determine the hole positions for the upcoming days.
The whole group enjoyed a good laugh, and it became another anecdote to add to my collection of enlightening experiences as a new golfer. It was the end of the round and as a team we came 4th, just marginally missing out on the prizes.
Being only a little over a year into my golfing journey, playing in the pro-am was an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
It was an honour to walk the fairways alongside the professionals, absorbing their expertise and passion for the game, just making me want to keep on going even more.
