What Ewen Ferguson had to say on being dubbed 'knock-off Rickie Fowler' and contact lens issue

Ewen Ferguson, dubbed the ‘knock-off Rickie Fowler’, is ready to rub shoulders with the American ace in the Genesis Scottish Open after being forced out of last week’s DP World Tour event with an eye issue.

“I was excited to play last week at HimmerLand because I finished second there last year,” said the 27-year-old, who’d made the journey on this occasion after coming close again to landing a third tour title in the Betfred British Masters at The Belfry only to be forced into withdrawing before making it to the first tee last Thursday.

“I wear contact lens every day and, sometimes, my eyes get really sore and I get migraines, and I get like blurry vision,” he added. “It looks like something is floating across my eye, so I had that kind of Tuesday and Wednesday in the Pro-Am.

“I woke up on Thursday, could hardly see out of my right eye, so pulled out, which is a shame. But my eyes are good now. I've had some sleep and I wore my specs for a few days, so I'm all in good shape.”

Ewen Ferguson talks to the media during a press conference prior to the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

He’s not the only Scot on the tour who is occasionally troubled by lens issues. “My best friend, Connor Syme, also really struggles with his eyes,” revealed Ferguson of his Modest! Golf stablemate. “He wears contact lenses and we both have a similar thing when it happens. It’s really annoying, but we can chat about our headaches together.

“Yeah, it troubles me at random times in the year. That's why I wear sunglasses all the time when I'm playing. Laser surgery? My pain threshold is not that good, so I don't think I can do that.”

Ferguson was still playing on the Challenge Tour when he made his Scottish Open debut in a low-key affair in 2020 due to Covid restrictions, but now finds himself in a field containing eight of the world’s top ten.

“I was buzzing seeing Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas yesterday on the putting green,” said the Bearsden man. “I'm such a golf fan, so just love seeing these guys and I'm playing against them as well.

“On social media, I see that I’m being called the ‘knock-off Rickie Fowler’. The ‘next Rickie Fowler’ would be better, but I think it’s brilliant.”