There’s a queer old difference between Kirkhill and Queensland at this time of year. “It’s about 32 degrees here,” reported Paul Shields. And no, he wasn’t talking about the sun-soaked boulevards of Cambuslang.
The 24-year-old will have to get himself acclimatised in more ways than one this week as his late call-up to the Australian PGA Championship has given Shields the opportunity to dip his toe in the European Tour waters for the first time. It’s a heck of a distance to travel at short notice but the Glasgow golfer knew he had to take the opportunity to strike it rich on the Gold Coast. “I got the phone call Monday to say I was in,” said Shields, who was twice a beaten finalist in the Scottish Boys’ Championship during his amateur days. “I had a long think about whether to go or not. After some debate I decided that the experience I would gain would be worth the journey. I have experience of travelling but to arrange everything so quickly and to try and stick to a budget was difficult.”
Having cut his professional teeth on the third-tier PGA EuroPro Tour over the last couple of seasons – he has managed two runners-up finishes and a number of other top-10s – Shields earned a step up to the European Challenge Tour after playing in all six rounds of the European Tour’s qualifying school recently. The main circuit is the ultimate goal but, for the time being, Shields is happy to continue his steady clamber up the ladder. “I have a full season on the Challenge Tour to look forward to but if I can get a few bonus events on the main tour like this week, then great,” added Shields, who has been joined down under by fellow Glasgow man, Scott Jamieson. “I’ve just tried to learn and develop and hope that when the chances come along like this, then I’ll be ready.”
In South Africa, meanwhile, Russell Knox will make his first appearance as a full European Tour member in the limited-field Nedbank Golf Challenge. The 30-year-old from Inverness made a huge breakthrough last month with his victory in the WGC HSBC Champions event in China and the Scot is now looking forward to finally getting his Ryder Cup qualifying campaign up and running. Knox was not a member of the tour when he won in China but, having now signed the relevant odds and ends, he can start making his mark on the qualifying table in a lucrative event that features just 30 players but boasts a purse of over £4 million. “It’s a great opportunity to get some points on the board,” said Knox, who was beaten in a play-off on the PGA Tour in Mexico just a week after his WGC conquest.
In Japan, Scottish stalwart Catriona Matthew has been paired with her Solheim Cup team-mate Karine Icher for the opening session of fourballs in The Queens, a team tussle involving sides representing the Ladies European Tour, the Japanese Tour, the Korean Tour and the Australian Tour.
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