When Sandy Scott tees it up at the U.S. Open, he’ll be three groups behind Tiger Woods and two groups behind Graeme McDowell, the former U.S. Open champion and four-time Ryder Cup player.
Scott might have been starstruck by players like that while growing up, but hero worship is not the point this week. It’s a chance for the Texas Tech golfer to see how his game measures up on a USGA setup against the best players in the world.
“I’ve watched these players play tournaments for many years growing up,” Scott said Tuesday on a Zoom conference. “I’ve learned a lot from them for sure. Now I’m on the same stage as them, and I’m looking to compete against these guys.
“It’s not really much about getting starstruck. I certainly don’t feel that way. I’m just seeing these guys as competitors that I’m trying to beat at the end of the day.”
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The 120th U.S. Open, originally scheduled for June 18-21 and postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, begins on Thursday at Winged Foot. Scott, a two-time Second-Team All-American for the Red Raiders, got in by virtue of his No. 6 spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Joining Scott as his caddie in Mamaroneck, New York, is Tech coach Greg Sands. In recent years, the big September event for Sands and the Red Raiders has been the Carmel Cup at Pebble Beach, where Tech’s Fredrik Nilehn was tournament medalist in 2016, Hurly Long won while setting a course record in 2017 and Scott won in 2019.
Asked if a trip to Winged Foot makes up for missing out on Pebble Beach this year, Scott said, “It’s just slightly different. COVID has certainly put a damper on many things, but this is coming about because of that and I just have to take advantage of it.”
Scott was a senior during the 2019-20 school year, but he’ll play for the Red Raiders again this school year. The NCAA gave spring-sports athletes whose seasons were shortened or wiped out because of the pandemic another year of eligibility. Scott could’ve turned pro regardless, but announced recently he’s coming back to Tech for another year.
Scott carried two top-20 national rankings among U.S. college golfers when the season shut down in mid-March. He went home to Nairn, Scotland, about a week later, returned to the U.S. in late July and played in the U.S. Amateur in mid-August at Bandon Dunes. He made match play and lost in the Round of 32.
Though he missed the usual college spring season, Scott said his game’s been well served since June with competitive rounds at Nairn Golf Club and, since he came back to the states, competition at the U.S. Am and against his Tech teammates.
“I feel really comfortable and really confident with my game,” he said. “I’ve been in the states for a couple of months now, plenty of time to get warmed up for these kind of tests and conditions. I’ve had plenty of competitive rounds with the guys to where I feel comfortable.”
U.S. Open course setups, however, tend to be the toughest tests of all. In five Opens played at Winged Foot’s West Course, the average winning score has been 3-over par.
Scott isn’t letting that psych him out, though. He said he thinks his game will mesh with the layout.
“I’d say it fits well,” he said. “It requires you to drive the ball straight and hit fairways, and certainly it tests your position with approach play. You know you’re going to hit some shots in the rough and off the greens, and you’re going to be tested with your touch and just smart play. So we’ll take our medicine when it comes, but I’d say it fits well.”
Scott goes off at 8:40 a.m. ET Thursday and at 2 p.m. ET Friday in a group with Robert MacIntyre and Kurt Kitayama, both European Tour players.
The 24-year-old MacIntyre is Scott’s Scottish countryman, so maybe a familiar face will help with the nerves. The two have already been out on the course together a couple of times.
“And it just so happened we were playing in a two-ball today when we found out we were playing with each other,” Scott said. “I’ve known Robert for years and we’ve played foursomes together in the likes of the European Team Championship, and so it’s certainly going to be fun.”
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