Ross Cameron completed an unforgettable September by following up his victory in the Scottish PGA Championship at the start of the month by winning the Northern Open at its end.
In doing so the 41-year-old PGA Professional from Peterhead topped the Tartan Tour Order of Merit for the first time, resolved a career conundrum and teed up a lifetime ambition.
His triumph in the Loch Lomond Whiskies Scottish PGA Championship at Deer Park Golf and Country Club earned him an invitation to play in the European Tour’s Scottish Championship at Fairmont St Andrews in October. And therein lay the problem.
“The Scottish Championship coincided with final qualifying for next year’s PGA EuroPro Tour,” explained Cameron, who represents Saltire Energy.
“I needed to play in that to earn my place on EuroPro for next year. But it’s always been my dream to play in the Scottish Championship, so I was torn between the two.
“The only way I could earn exemption from qualifying for the PGA EuroPro Tour was by winning the Tartan Tour Order of Merit, which I’ve done. I’m chuffed to bits.”
Cameron had had to combat wet and windy conditions in winning the Loch Lomond Whiskies Scottish PGA Championship but Mother Nature did him a huge favour in overcoming the 90-strong field at Spey Valley Championship, Aviemore.
Torrential rain washed out the second of the two scheduled rounds and Cameron was declared the winner by virtue of leading the tournament after the first.
Having posted a five-under-par score of 67, Cameron was a shot clear of a quartet sharing second place: Gavin Hay, Scott Henderson plus the amateur pair, David Rudd and Calum Scott.
The round featured an eagle, at the par-five fifth and six birdies and Cameron was so pleased with his form he had no cause to perform a rain dance in the hope the tournament would be abandoned.
“The weather obviously worked in my favour,” added Cameron, who earned £2,560 from his victory at Spey Valley to take his Tartan Tour earnings for the season past £7,000.
“But I was looking forward to playing and would have preferred to. I was hitting the ball nicely and my putting was good. I was also mentally strong – winning the Scottish PGA Championship has given me a lot of confidence.”
Cameron will be hoping to take that confidence and rich vein of form into the Scottish Championship.
Firstly, though, he will attempt to make it a Scottish hat-trick in winning next week’s PGA Professional Championship at Trentham Golf Club in Staffordshire, England.
Compatriots Paul O’Hara was victorious at Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland, in 2018, and the defending champion Alastair Forsyth was the runaway winner at Hunstanton, England.
By way of a possible good omen for Scots, Heather MacRae won the WPGA Championship at Trentham last year.
It’s an unknown venue for Cameron who added: “I never played it before but I’ll have a word with Heather to try and get a few tips.”
Full scores are accessible here