I wrote professional golf letter to myself at 13-years-old - and now it's come true

Lorna McClymont ‘excited’ to secure LET debut in Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco

As a 13-year-old, Lorna McClymont wrote a letter to herself saying her dream was to become a professional golfer. “It was probably quite ambitious at that point as I was a 30 handicap or something like that,” she admitted.

McClymont had actually forgotten about that letter and only stumbled over it again recently, which, it has to be said, was perfect timing because she is, indeed, now a professional golfer.

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The Dumbarton woman secured a category for the 2025 Ladies European Tour at the Qualifying School in Morocco in December and is now gearing up to make her debut in the paid ranks later this week.

After securing her LET card at the Qualifying School in December, Lorna McClymont is making her professional debut in this week’s Lalla Meryem Cup in MoroccoAfter securing her LET card at the Qualifying School in December, Lorna McClymont is making her professional debut in this week’s Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco
After securing her LET card at the Qualifying School in December, Lorna McClymont is making her professional debut in this week’s Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco | Tristan Jones/LET

McClymont had travelled back to Morocco as first reserve for the season-opening Lalla Meryem Cup before finding out on Tuesday morning that she’d secured her place in the field at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

“It’s so exciting,” she told The Scotsman, having been happy enough to get a taste of the week even if she’d ended up staying on the reserve list but now being eager to get her new career up and running..

“It definitely felt like that,” replied McClymont, laughing,” to being asked if Monday had seemed as though it had been back at school on the first day. “It was quite weird. You are trying to find your feet and learn everything you need to do as a professional.”

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“I know a few people, including Mimi [Rhodes] and Sara [Byrne], “ she said of two of her team-mates in last year’s winning Great Britain & Ireland side in the Curtis Cup at Sunningdale.

“It’s nice to be able to chat to them and there are also a few girls who I played in Palmer Cups with in the past so I know them to say ‘hi’ and have a chat with. But, when you are out practising on the golf course, you kind of go into your own wee zone anyway.”

How is the University of Stirling graduate feeling about now playing the game for a living? “I feel like at the moment it will hit me when I step on the first tee,” she admitted. “When you are a newcomer, you are just trying to take it all in and understand things as well.

“So I don’t really have time to think too much about it and, to be honest, I don’t really want to make it a bigger deal than it is, if that makes sense. I just want to try and treat it like tournaments I have played in the past.”

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Her last season as an amateur was one to cherish. After going close in the past, she got the win she deserved in the Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship and also reached the final of the R&A Women’s Amateur Championship. To then cap it all off by playing in the Curtis Cup under Catriona Mattew’s captaincy and helping GB&I pull off a sensational success at Sunningdale was fairytale stuff.

“If someone told me I’d have a year like that in my last season as an amateur, I would certainly have taken it,” she admitted. It was a dream come true to play in the Curtis Cup and then to win it as well was just amazing, especially in my last year being an amateur. With the Women’s Amateur as well, getting so far in that was definitely something to look back on and be proud of, yeah.”

As has been the case with lots of other players to come through the excellent programme run by Dean Robertson at the University of Stirling, McClymont attended a winter training camp at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates last month and was pleased to get some sun on her back.

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Lorna McClymont’s last season as an amateur was capped off by helping Great Britain & Ireland win the Curtis Cup at SunningdaleLorna McClymont’s last season as an amateur was capped off by helping Great Britain & Ireland win the Curtis Cup at Sunningdale
Lorna McClymont’s last season as an amateur was capped off by helping Great Britain & Ireland win the Curtis Cup at Sunningdale | The R&A

“It was nice to have a break after what felt like a long couple of weeks at the Q School,”she said of having to come through two stages to secure her Category 16 card. “It was then a case of getting back into a routine with training and practising, but that’s hard to do when the weather isn’t great.

“But I was out in Al Ain with the Uni in early January, so that was nice getting back out in the sun and being able to enjoy some good practice facilities. That sort of thing is huge and I will be forever grateful for the support I’ve had from the Uni.”

This week’s event is being staged alongside the Hassan Trophy II, a men’s tournament that used to be part of the DP World Tour schedule but is now on the Champions Tour, with Colin Montgomerie among the golden oldies teeing up in it on this occasion.

“It’s a nice place to start my professional career,” said McClymont, the sole Scot in the women’s field, of the venue where Richie Ramsay landed his third DP World Tour title triumph a decade ago. “It’s quite strange but also quite cool having the two events going on at the one time on different courses and we are sharing the same practice facilities and dining area.”

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It remains to be seen exactly how many main tour events she’ll get into, but it’s a bit of a bonus to be teeing up in this one before she heads to South Africa.

“My schedule is still taking shape and I think that will be the case due to the fact I’m not entirely sure what I will be getting in,” she said, “But I am going over to South Africa to do the Sunshine Tour, so that will take care of the next couple of months.”

As is the case with the likes of Gemma Dryburgh and Hannah Darling, McClymont always seems to have lots of people willing her on back home and, led by her parents, that will be the case in her rookie professional year as well. “It is definitely nice to have that backing and know that so many people believe in me. It does help me for sure,” she admitted.

As for that letter, it proves that dreams do indeed come true. “I had totally forgotten I had written it and I was like ‘wow’ when we found it,” said McClymont. “But here I am as a professional golfer and I am very happy about that.”

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