Exclusive:Scottish golfer turns professional after securing Challenge Tour card

Gregor Graham secures exemption for second-tier circuit through Global Amateur Pathway

Gregor Graham, arguably Scotland’s most-successful amateur golfer in 2024, will be playing as a professional next year after securing a Challenge Tour card via the new Global Amateur Pathway.

The 21-year-old Blairgowrie player, who won both the South African Amateur Championship and Brabazon Trophy this year, has been handed an exemption for the DP World Tour’s development circuit along with England’s Will Hopkins.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Blairgowrie's Gregor Graham became the fifth Scottish player to land the South African Amateur Championship since 2011. Picture: GolfRSA  Blairgowrie's Gregor Graham became the fifth Scottish player to land the South African Amateur Championship since 2011. Picture: GolfRSA
Blairgowrie's Gregor Graham became the fifth Scottish player to land the South African Amateur Championship since 2011. Picture: GolfRSA | Gregor Graham action

The Global Amateur Pathway, which is powered by the World Amateur Golf Ranking, was launched by the DP World Tour, PGA Tour and The R&A to help the best male amateur players take the next step in their careers.

The landmark initiative, which complements the PGA Tour University in the US, has created a pathway for non-collegiate amateur players on to the DP World Tour and partner tours around the world.

It had seemed as though Graham, who started this year just inside the top 500 in the World Golf Amateur Ranking but is now sitting a career-best 69th, was going to narrowly miss out on this occasion after finishing 12th in the inaugural Global Amateur Pathway Ranking.

But, after Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen and Frenchman Bastian Amat both secured DP World Tour cards via the recent Qualifying School in Spain, the big Scot has been added to the list along with tenth-ranked Hopkins.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Through topping the Global Amateur Pathway Ranking this year, China’s Wenyi Ding secured a 2025 DP World Tour card while Graham and Hopkins have joined Spaniard Luis Masaveu Roncal on the Challenge Tour’s 2025 Road to Mallorca.

In addition, Americans Nathan Petronzio, Peter Fountain, Ben Warian and Jake Hall earned PGA Tour Americas membership for the Latin America Swing next year and South African Tyran Snyders earned an exemption on the Sunshine Tour.

“We’d been hearing rumours about the Global Amateur Pathway for the last year or two and then, when it was launched this year, I was always a little bit on the outskirts of it,” said Graham, who created history as the first amateur to win on the Tartan Pro Tour when making home advantage count in the Blairgowrie Perthshire Masters last year.

“I’m delighted it has worked out for me as it’s a great thing they’ve done for the guys here in Europe to try and get Challenge Tour and DP World Tour cards as they already do that out in the States for the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Graham has secured a Category 11 card for the second-tier circuit, where he will join the likes of Euan Walker, Daniel Young, Ryan Lumsden, Jack McDonald, Calum Fyfe, Graeme Robertson and Sam Locke in flying the Saltire in 2025.

“Based on this year, a player in Category 11 got 20-odd starts and, even if that’s a rough estimate, that’s a good position to be in for my first season on the Challenge Tour, which is exciting,” he added.

Gregor Graham shows off the Brabazon Trophy with his dad and caddie, Stuart, at Hollinwell in Nottinghamshire.  Gregor Graham shows off the Brabazon Trophy with his dad and caddie, Stuart, at Hollinwell in Nottinghamshire.
Gregor Graham shows off the Brabazon Trophy with his dad and caddie, Stuart, at Hollinwell in Nottinghamshire. | Contributed

Graham is an ambassador for the Paul Lawrie Foundation along with his younger brother Connor, who created history as the youngest-ever player to compete in the Walker Cup as a 16-year-old at St Andrews last year.

The siblings represented Scotland for the first time together in the Home Internationals two years ago before also playing for Great Britain & Ireland in the St Andrews Trophy at Royal Porthcawl in July. Next year’s Walker Cup at Cypress Point in California had been in the sights for both until this development.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The plan was to be an amateur next year and try and make the Walker Cup team, but I will now be a professional with this card,” said Graham, who landed his South African title triumph at Royal Johannesburg in February before adding the Brabazon Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of the English Open Stroke-Play Championship, in a weather-shortened event at Hollinwell in May. “The plan was to go for the GAP programme next year, but it’s coming a year early, which is a bonus and you can’t really turn down an opportunity like this.

“It’s been a good year, especially getting a couple of big wins under my belt and getting the confidence to try and go and do that out on tour as a professional. I am really happy how the year has gone, especially getting in the GB&I team for the St Andrews Trophy, which was an amazing experience. Overall, it has definitely been a good year.”

Graham’s final appearance as an amateur came for Scotland as he joined forces with Cameron Adam, Lorna McClymont and Sheridan Clancy in last week’s Spirit International Amateur Championship at Whispering Pines in Texas.

“I was over in America for a month and that was really good,” he admitted. “I got to go over and see my little brother at Texas Tech. I spent some time practising with the team and being in the sun was great as it broke the winter up a little bit.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Connor is loving it and he’s doing really well. It’s nice to see that his game is coming on and it is an amazing experience for him to go out there and play and compete against the best guys on the US college circuit.

“It’s good as well that he has Calum Scott (the Nairn player who won the Silver Medal as leading amateur in this year’s 152nd Open at Troon) with him over there and Sean Keeling, a Junior Ryder Cup team-mate in Rome and a good friend, as well.”

Graham was speaking as he broke off from hitting balls on the driving range at Blairgowrie in Baltic conditions the day after he’d arrived back from the US, displaying a hunger and drive he hopes will take him all the way to the top of the ladder over the next few years.

“I’m really excited about this,” he said of his exciting switch to the paid ranks ahead of the 2025 Challenge Tour campaign starting in South Africa at the end of January, having made the cut when teeing up as an amateur in the Open de Portugal in September. “My game feels good and I’ll be aiming to compete against these guys. I’m looking forward to the experience of playing as a professional and I am sure it will be an exciting year.”

Related topics:

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.

Dare to be Honest
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice