Ewen Ferguson feeding off his money matches with Connor Syme

Ewen Ferguson reckons his weekly money matches with close friend Connor Syme are helping bring out the best in him in his rookie season on the DP World Tour.

Ferguson and Syme are both through to the weekend in the Steyn City Championship along with Craig Howie after two days of low scoring at the The Club at Steyn City.

Having come home in four-under for the second day running as he backed up an opening 67 with a 69, Ferguson sits just outside the top 20 on eight-under.

He’s got 10 shots to make up on South African Shaun Norris (64-62) over the final 36 holes, but the 25-year-old is in good fettle after comfortably making the cut for the third week in a row.

Ewen Ferguson shares a laugh as he crosses a bridge at The Club at Steyn City during the Steyn City Championship. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images.

“I’m playing some good stuff and I am working on the right things,” said Ferguson, who, after coming through the amateur ranks with Syme, is now his stablemate with Niall Horan’s Modest! Golf.

After Ferguson had been unable to convert a four-shot lead heading into the final round of the Magical Kenya Open a fortnight ago, Syme was waiting for him to come off the 18th green to give him a hug and offer words of encouragement.

“We’re together every single day and, as I walked off in Kenya, he said to me: ‘you were never going to lose; you were only going to learn’,” revealed Ferguson. “I took a lot from that.

“We are so close. Every Wednesday, I’ve been playing a money game with him - it’s only for £20 but it’s more the bragging rights and pride that matters most.

“We’ve been doing that the last three weeks and I think it just lets you zone in a little bit then when the tournament starts you are a bit more clued up about what is going on.

“I would always be there for Connor, as he is for me. We’re both out here having fun and trying to learn as we go on.

“I am pretty sure we will have some good battles down the stretch in the future.”

Syme (71) sits on six-under alongside Howie, who was seven-under for the day through 11 holes before following a bogey at the 12th with a triple-bogey three holes later as he eventually signed for a second 69.

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