'Really happy': Scottish amateur battles lack of sleep in opening effort at The Open

Calum Scott had probably played more golf than any of the 157 competitors coming into The Open, having seemingly been here, there and everywhere since returning home for the summer at the end of the US college campaign. Nothing, though, could have compared him for this.

“Yeah, the first few holes were a little shaky,” the Nairn amateur admitted of making his major debut at Royal Troon in front of plenty of people at 6.46am in the morning. “It was tough to settle in there for a while with the crowds out there. It was something I haven't experienced before, so that was new.”

Once he’d overcome feeling a “little uncomfortable”, though, the 20-year-old showed exactly why he’s Scotland’s top-ranked amateur and also highly-rated at Texas Tech, where he spent his first two years with a certain Ludvig Aberg as one of his team-mates.

Nairn amateur Calum Scott plays a shot on the sixth hole on day one of The 152nd Open at Royal Troon. Picture: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.

Playing in the same group as 2017 Scottish Open champion Alex Noren and rising DP World Tour start, Scott mixed four birdies, including a 2 at the Postage Stamp and a 3 to finish - with four bogeys to sign for a praiseworthy par-71.

“I was really happy with the result,” he admitted. “It was just another golf course once I got past that sort of nerves and discomfort. Once I got past the noise and distractions, I was able to settle in and play some good golf.”

Scott, who secured his spot in the season’s final major by winning an Amateur Qualifying Series, had been early to bed on Wednesday night but admitted: “I was probably awake until midnight, so I didn't get much sleep. But I'm glad the first round is over so I can kind of relax now.”

As for his birdie at the eighth, he said: “I hit a 60-degree. I think it was around 117 down to 115, obviously wind helping off the left, and it's skipping a lot right now, especially when the wind is helping. So you've got to land things a little shorter, especially with the spin. Yeah, hit it up there really good and holed a nice putt.”

Playing in the group in front of Scott, local man Jack McDonald had two past Troon winners, Justin Leonard and Todd Hamilton, for company as he played considerably better than the five-over 76 he signed for, which was down to a frustrating morning on the greens.

He still described making his major debut in his hometown as a “great experience” and revealed that Hamilton, the champion here in 2004, had been willing him to hole something to “get the crowd going” on a wet and miserable morning. “I didn’t do it today,” said McDonald, who had fellow Ayrshireman Michael Stewart, who played in last year’s event at Royal Liverpool, out watching him, “but hopefully tomorrow.”

Ewen Ferguson, who was out in a two-ball with German Marcel Siem, made four birdies but also signed for a double bogey and four bogeys in his 75. “Yeah, it was really rough,” admitted the recent BMW International Open winner. Referring to being one under after four holes, he added: “I started off so well, too, but it doesn't take much to be staring bogey or double bogey in the face and I think it (his 7 at the sixth) gave me a bit of a fright.”