Open goal for Connor Syme as he prepares to join home charge for glory at The Renaissance Club

Connor Syme believes his confidence and self-belief are at an all-time high as he prepares to tee it up on some soil at this week’s Genesis Scottish Open.

Syme finally got the monkey off his back and won his maiden DP World Tour title at the KLM Open in Holland last month.

The 29-year-old Fifer arrives at The Renaissance looking to build on that victory and will be buoyed by the fact he has a decent record around the East Lothian venue.

Syme finished in a tie for 15th place last year and has made the cut on all six previous appearances.

He believes he can go from strength to strength after finally clinching his first victory on tour - and has the added incentive of trying to secure a place in next week’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

‘There’s always something you want to achieve and I really, really want to play in The Open,’ admitted Syme.

‘There’s no denying that and, the same as everyone teeing up this week, if you’re not in already then that’s definitely a goal.

‘Hopefully I can play well. When I look back at my win in Holland, I was definitely brilliant at bringing myself back into the present.

‘That’s hopefully something I can carry on with this week and I’m hoping my good golf can flourish from there.

‘It’s all positives. It’s been such an amazing feeling to get that first win and to come back here as a winner on tour is really special.’

Having joined the likes of Bob MacIntyre, Ewen Ferguson, Grant Forrest and Calum Hill as Scots to have won on tour in recent years, Syme believes Scottish golf is in a decent place overall.

MacIntyre is currently placed just outside the world’s top 10, with Ferguson the only other Scot inside the world top 150 at present.

Asked whether or not he feels Scottish golf punches above its weight or holds its own, Syme added: ‘Good question. I guess we are probably kind of getting it back.

‘Certainly when I was coming through amateur golf, the talent that we had in Scotland for whatever reason didn’t end up making it on tour at that point.

‘I think a few of those guys probably still could do it, but it’s obviously nice that from my age group growing up, quite a lot of us have managed to get on tour and have won on tour, which is awesome.

‘But, yeah, obviously with the home of golf, it definitely carries its pressures and trying to live up to that. Bob is obviously doing absolutely brilliantly and we are all trying to get, hopefully, to where he gets to.’