Dunhill Links: Scott Jamieson shoots 65

SCOTT Jamieson hit the nail on the head. “It’s a funny tournament,” he declared after carding a 65 on the Old Course but only finding himself in a tie for 35th after two rounds in the Dunhill Links Championship.
Scott Jamieson: Tied for 35th. Picture: GettyScott Jamieson: Tied for 35th. Picture: Getty
Scott Jamieson: Tied for 35th. Picture: Getty

It’s the nature of the beast in an event that sees players move about three different courses for three days. “You never really know what is going on until after the third round so we’ll find out tomorrow afternoon,” added Jamieson.

Carnoustie, the toughest of those venues, is the third stop for the 29-year-old today, but he’s heading there feeling confident about his game. He has reason to be after bagging seven birdies in a flawless effort at St Andrews. “It is always good to shoot a low one, especially around this course,” he said.

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Jamieson started the 2013 campaign like a bat out of hell, recording his first European Tour triumph in the Nelson Mandela Championship in Durban then finishing third and second, also in South Africa.

While his results may not have reflected it, he has been playing well again recently. “I made enough birdies last week [in the Italian Open] to win it but the last four holes didn’t fit my eye,” he said. “Today I got off to a good start [with birdies at the opening two holes, the second courtesy of a 30-footer] then kept it going and hopefully there’s some more good stuff on the horizon.”

Next week, Jamieson heads to Paris to join forces with three of his compatriots – Stephen Gallacher, Paul Lawrie and Marc Warren – in the Great Britain & Ireland team, with Sam Torrance as its captain, for the Seve Trophy.

It will be Jamieson’s second successive appearance in the match against Continental Europe, having overcome initial nerves to record a crucial singles win over Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal two years ago. “I partnered Ross Fisher in my first couple of games and that was okay as we’d played together before but then I was paired with Lee Westwood,” he recalled. “I think he could tell I was a bit nervous and, though I hadn’t really had many bad shots, he said something after the third or fourth hole that helped calm me down.”

On that occasion, Jamieson impressed Paul McGinley in his role as GB&I captain. Now he is hoping to do likewise as the Irishman takes on a watching brief at St Nom La Breteche as next year’s Ryder Cup captain.

“I thought Paul was really good,” he said. “We all know how to play golf – that’s why you get on these teams. After that, it becomes a case of man-management and Paul let everyone know what he thought their particular role was on the team. He was great with me. ”

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