Euan Walker to make professional debut in KLM Open

Euan Walker says playing in the Walker Cup at the weekend means he has achieved pretty much all he wanted to as an amateur golfer. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA

The 24-year-old Kilmarnock (Barassie) player will make his bow in the paid ranks in an event in Amsterdam featuring former Masters champions Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia after securing an invitation through his new management company, Edinburgh-based Bounce Sport.

“I feel as though I achieved pretty much all the goals I had set out in amateur golf by winning an elite amateur event, playing in a Walker Cup and also getting into the top ten in world rankings,” said Walker, who picked up one-and-a-half points in GB&I’s defeat at Royal Liverpool. “I feel that now is the right time for me to try and play professional golf on the back of those accomplishments.”

The African Amateur champion is the only member of the home side to make the switch straight away. “It is pretty crazy and I don’t think I am going to believe I’ll be playing in a European Tour event as a professional until I get out there,” he added.

“I don’t feel there is any great pressure on me to perform well this week or in any other event I might play on an invite, though I will obviously be aiming to do that. But, as an acclimatisation period, it will  be crucial to gain some experience so that when I go to Q School or in my first full season as a pro I know what it is all about.”

Meanwhile, Craig Watson is not ruling out the possibility of being at the GB&I helm again for the 2021 Walker Cup, which is being held in early May due to Seminole in Florida being closed in the summer.

“It’s obviously a great honour, so I was thoroughly delighted to do it this week,” said the Scot after seeing his side taste defeat at Hoylake following a damaging final session. “We’ll just have to wait and see [about the next one].”