Callum McNeill joins Russell Knox in flying Saltire in PGA Tour Q-School

Scottish duo among card contenders at TPC Sawgrass in Florida

Callum McNeill, who is mentored by 2004 US Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton, is excited to be playing in the PGA Tour Q-School Final Stage in Florida over the next four days.

Two-time tour winner Russell Knox is being joined in flying the Saltire by Callum McNeill as the PGA Tour Qualifying School offers the ultimate ticket for the first time since 2012 in Florida this week.

Varying levels of Korn Ferry Tour membership had been awarded through the event over the past decade but, in a welcome change, five PGA Tour cards are up for grabs in a 72-hole event being played at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Knox finds himself involved in the card scuffle after finishing outside the top 125 on the FedEx Cup Fall list. “I have to come to peace that it wasn’t a very good playing year for me,” the Invernesian recently told Associated Press. “That’s where I’m at and do my best where I get to play.

“Fortunately, I’ve had a decent career. Just because it’s one tough year doesn’t mean it’s over. That’s been the tough thing — 80 per cent of the time I’m a world-class player, and the other 20 per cent I’m a 20-handicap.”

McNeill, who was born in Edinburgh and lives in the Borders, has already regained his Korn Ferry Tour membership by making it through to this stage and now he’s determined to make amends for not only a disappointing performance in 2021 but also for coming up just short in last month’s DP World Tour Q-School in Spain.

“I want to be competing at the top level and was distraught with how I finished at the DP World Tour final stage,” said the 29-year-old, who is mentored by former US Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton in Texas. “I’m ready to learn from it and make amends this week. I played poorly at Final Stage in 2021 and didn’t secure any starts, so I know how important it is to play well this week, especially with five PGA Tour cards up for grabs.

“I’ve learned a lot in the last couple of years and I am a different player to the last time I got to Final Stage. Obviously I’m playing some good golf just now, having made it to the Final Stage for both PGA Tour and DP World Tour Q Schools. I’m not taking anything for granted, still a lot of work left to do this week to get some guaranteed starts.”

The event takes place on both the Dye’s Valley Course and Sawgrass Country Club, where McNeill plays his opening round on Thursday while local man Knox is in action at Dye’s Valley.

“It’s exciting to be in Sawgrass at a place that was so special to Hal (Sutton winning The Players’ Championship there in 1983),” admitted McNeill. “Jamie Fraser, who’s originally from Oban and someone I’ve worked with for years at Renaissance Club and The Clubs at Houston Oaks and now runs the Hal Sutton Academy, is caddying for me this week, which adds another element of home.

“In addition, Mizuno sent me a nice new bag with a Saltire on it as well, so it’s an honour and a privilege to be able to represent Scotland this week.”

Others among the card contenders include four-time PGA Tour winner Scott Piercy, charismatic American Harry Higgs and Austrian ace Matthias Schwab.