State of the Nation - The Insider: 'We don't have the strength in depth we'd like in golf but there are positives'

In June, Mail Sport published exclusive stories highlighting concerns over the future of two of the most popular sports in Scotland: tennis and rugby. And with the likes of Judy Murray raising the alarm, such warnings are impossible to ignore. In our new series, State of the Nation, our reporters turn the spotlight on some of the biggest sports in this country for a health check. We’re not just looking for what’s going wrong — it’s important to highlight what’s going right, as well. Here, we take a look at golf...

When two young Scottish amateurs tee it up in the Open Championship at Royal Portrush this week, it will undoubtedly be the proudest moment of their fledgling careers thus far.

All the more so given the manner in which Cameron Adam and Connor Graham had to fight and earn their spots.

Both have been part of the college circuit in America, with left-hander Adam, 22, graduating from Northwestern in Chicago and Graham, 18, recently completing his first year at Texas Tech.

But the pair retain strong links to their roots in Scotland. For a start, Adam is an ambassador for the Stephen Gallacher Foundation, with Graham fulfilling the same role for the Paul Lawrie Foundation.

Adam, a member at Royal Burgess, secured his place at Portrush after winning the prestigious Open Amateur Series, the latest triumph on a stunning run of form over the past couple of years.

Graham, meanwhile, came through a gruelling day of final qualifying at Dundonald, eventually prevailing over fellow Scot Paul O’Hara in a play-off in Ayrshire.

It’s going to be a huge week for the pair but both have already shown they have the talent and composure to take it all in their stride.

For everyone connected with Scottish Golf, it will be a massive boost to see Adam and Graham flying the Saltire on the leaderboard at Portrush.

There is also a very good crop of players coming through in the women’s game, with Lorna McClymont and Hannah Darling helping Team GB&I win the Curtis Cup last year.

The key is to ensure the pipeline is healthy enough for plenty more to follow in future, as Scotland looks to keep pace with other similar-sized countries around Europe.

‘The standard is so high around other European countries,’ said Clare Queen, a former player on the Ladies European Tour and now head of performance and pathway at Scottish Golf.

‘The bar is being raised all the time, so it’s important we continue to improve what we do so our young players understand the level required.

‘In terms of numbers, we probably don’t have the strength in depth we would like right now, albeit there are still loads of positive things happening.

‘We do still have some really strong individuals coming through, especially over the last three or four years. But we want more kids coming through the pathway and pushing for a place in the national teams.

‘We all love to see a Saltire up there on the leaderboard. With Cammy and Connor both going to The Open at Portrush, there’s going to be loads of attention on them, but what an unbelievable experience it’ll be for them.

‘I think it’s a Scottish thing where we always love to see our own people doing well. I am sure they will have aspirations of doing what Calum Scott did last year at Troon by winning the Silver Medal.

‘We are the home of golf, but we are also still a relatively small country in terms of population. It’s so important to have these guys coming through as role models.

‘We do have some really talented players coming through at the moment, and we’ve seen a really good group establish themselves on tour over the past 10 years or so.

‘Bob MacIntyre, Connor Syme, Ewen Ferguson, Grant Forrest — they all push each other and raise the bar among themselves.

‘But, as an organisation, we always want to push on and try and achieve more. Success for us would be really increasing the volume of players — both male and female — who establish themselves on tour.’

One of the key challenges facing Scottish Golf is helping players make that initial transition from amateur to professional and making sure they are ready.

It’s an issue which will face Adam and Graham in due course given the trajectory of their careers, but they have solid backing from the Gallacher and Lawrie foundations respectively.

Queen added: ‘Giving young boys and girls the opportunity to develop and progress in the game is something I’m passionate about.

‘Over the past year or so, we have been doing a big review just to really try and assess where we’re at. The pathway system is something we have been really keen to focus on.

‘Ultimately, the aim is to strengthen and improve the pipeline of young players coming through. If we can find a more consistent approach, and a way of delivering more consistent opportunities, that will help.’

Although they would like to retain their top talent and develop them at home, Scottish Golf would never discourage any young player from playing on the US college circuit if given the opportunity.

On the path taken by Adam and Graham, as well as a few others, Queen added: ‘We would never necessarily discourage anyone from playing college golf in the States. It’s very much an individual thing — it’s great for some players, not so great for others. With Cameron Adam and Connor Graham, they have both really thrived in the time they have been over there.

‘They have both done exceptionally well in that environment, but it’s not necessarily for everyone. We’ve seen other players in the past struggle to adapt, so it’s about doing what’s right for you.

‘There’s a human side to all of this. When you’re 16 or 17, and you’ve got a chance to move to America, it’s not the easiest thing to decide in terms of what’s the right or wrong thing to do. It’s a big call.’