By Martin Dempster
It was due to be his only “week off” in a busy summer schedule but Connor Graham doesn’t mind that it has now been scrapped. Not when he’s heading to Royal Portrush in a fortnight’s time to make his major debut in the 153rd Open Championship. It was mission accomplished for the 18-year-old from Blairgowrie as he joined Lee Westwood, Daniel Young, Angel Hidalgo and Jesper Sandborg in securing spots through Tuesday’s Final Qualifier at Dundonald Links. Graham’s appearance in the Claret Jug event comes just three years after he won The R&A Junior Open at Monifieth Links and, in the interim, he became the youngest-ever player to compete in the Walker Cup. He’s a certainty to be in the Great Britain & Ireland team again in that event at Cypress Point in September but, before then, is looking forward to a dream opportunity on the County Antrim coast. “The Open week was meant to be my off week,” replied Graham to being asked how his schedule was looking over the summer, “so I don’t think I am getting much rest now. But it is definitely good to have this to look forward to.” Graham found himself in the same group as Westwood and Jamie Donaldson for his two rounds on the Ayrshire coast and acquitted himself very well indeed as he posted rounds of 71-69 for a four-under-par total. That left him facing an anxious wait before finding himself in a play-off with fellow Scot Paul O’Hara for the final spot, with Graham earning a huge hug from his dad Stuart after prevailing in that with a birdie at the first extra hole. It might have seemed to those watching in a large crowd that Graham, who had his trusty coach, St Andrews-based Fintan Bonner, caddying for him, had tugged his tee shot a bit but not so. “The pin was in kind of a weird spot behind a little hill and I was trying to favour the left side as the left rough was better than being in the right side of the fairway,” he explained. “So I was just trying to keep up the left side and give myself the best angle to get it close.” A member of Europe’s Junior Ryder Cup-winning team in Rome in 2023, Graham is a Paul Lawrie Foundation ambassador and was wearing a top with a PLF logo on it. Even though he wasn’t born at the time, Graham didn’t need reminding that Lawrie came through Final Qualifying when he was crowned as an Open champion at Carnoustie in 1999. “That’s definitely an inspiration for me to maybe try and do the same, we’ll see,” he said with a smile. “It’s great to have his support and to be able to lean on someone who has so much experience is definitely helpful.” As for Portrush will be the fact that, on the back of his Junior Open win, he paid a visit to St Andrews for the 150th Open three years ago with his family. “Yeah, exactly,” he said of that experience, “and now getting to play in it will be very special.” He was asked what was the youngest experience of him watching The Open as a fan? “I wouldn’t say there is anything specific, but every year I’m always up from whatever time it is on to watch it and keep an eye on it,” he said. What about when Shane Lowry won at Royal Portrush in 2019? “Yeah, I do remember that and I might have to look back and see how the course was that week,” he added. Since the end of his eye-catching freshman year on the US college circuit at Texas Tech, Graham has played in the Palmer Cup, The Amateur Championship, European Amateur Championship and Final Qualifying while he’s scheduled to be in action for Scotland in Hungary next week in the European Team Championship B Division. “I’ve definitely played in lots of big events and this is going to be the biggest of them all,” he said, having joined one of his Scotland team-mates, Cameron Adam, in the field for the season’s final major “It’s been a great first year for me in the US. I definitely thought it went well and it was very enjoyable. I had so much fun in my first year and I am definitely looking forward to getting back.” As for his experience of Portrush, where Young and Bob MacIntyre are the other Scots currently in the line up, he said: “I’ve played there a couple of times, but I think it might be playing a little different during Open week. It’s some golf course.” And Graham is some kid.