Five things we learned from the Life on Tour Podcast with Ewen Ferguson

Ewen Ferguson joins the Life on Tour podcast this week after his first DP World Tour victory at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

Speaking to Ewan Porter from his home in Scotland, Ferguson gives us an in-depth insight into his career.

Throughout the podcast, Ferguson recounts taking up golf, his successful amateur career and his route to his first victory on the DP World Tour, which came directly after an extra Sunday morning short-game session with his coach.

Here’s some of the things we learned from this week’s podcast, and you can click here to listen to the full episode.

LISTEN HERE

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/35-ewen-ferguson-the-first-win/id1391845851?i=1000556271990

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5x7tsjnXEOOx81deRKvbZi?si=d2680113bb3f4ba9

WHAT WE LEARNED

Ewen's early route into golf

As a young boy Ewen looked up to his father, and by the age of six, he was desperate to join the local golf club with his dad. Unfortunately, because they wouldn’t allow new members until the age of eight, they wouldn’t accept him. The local nine-hole golf club had the same rule, but Ewen’s father tried to persuade them to allow him to sign up because of his talent – even at such a young age.

The golf club manager said, “Right, if he can hit the ball from here past that red stake, we’ll let him in” and six year old Ewen did just that.

“Right then, he’s joining” the manager said. He’s always try to pay the club back and has represented them as they allowed him to play at such a young age.

Ferguson's record breaking amateur career

In 2013, Ferguson won the British Boys Amateur Championships at Royal Liverpool golf club, winning the final 10&9, which is the biggest margin of victory since 1966 in that Championships. Later that year in the summer, Ewen went on to win the Scottish boys stroke play championships and match play championships. Becoming the only player ever to hold all three titles simultaneously. “I felt a superstar, I felt amazing! I thought I was a golfer already almost.”

“I was picked by the Scottish and GB teams, traveling to Australia for four weeks, then going straight to South Africa and then onto Dubai. I was living the Tour life as a 17 year old amateur.”

In 2015 Ewen was part of the Walker Cup side which took down the USA which included the likes of Bryson DeChambeau.

“I was playing really well that year, I had five top 5’s in a row, I was doing really well but then stalled before the Walker Cup selections. I thought I really need to up my game to get into this team. I then got a phone call after the US Amateur, sitting 25th best amateur in the world. They said I was going to be picked as first reserve, so hang back because Sam wasn’t sure if he was able to play.”

After Sam Horsfield withdrew, Ewen Ferguson was selected to play at the Walker Cup, hosted at Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club, where he came up against and beat current PGA Tour star Maverick McNealy in the first singles match. Ewen then lost on the second day to Beau Hossler in a singles match, and was then not picked for the remainder of the competition in the four balls as they were already made up.

“I was the youngest player across both teams by quite a way, I was only 19 whilst most the others were 22 or 23. At that age it’s a very big gap. They have all been college together and the four balls were worked out. They had history together. But I was fine with it, I’m more of a singles player anyway who likes to play on my own.”

Ewen delayed his decision to turn professional to continue to learn the game of golf

Ewen was planning on turning pro after the Walker Cup in 2015, but ended up staying on as an amateur for a further year because he felt like he was too young.

“I thought I’d still continue to learn the process, I also felt a bit young. But after playing on the same events for the third year in a row, I felt like I need to move onto the next level. So I turned pro at the end of 2016.”

“I started off playing some satellite tour events to prepare myself, knowing my management company would get me 7 starts on the Challenge Tour, which is the maximum you can get, and then three or four invites on the DP World Tour. In my first event in Turkey I finished fourth, and that top 10 finish got me into the following week which meant I didn’t need to use one of my 7 invites.”

Ewen picked up enough points to keep his Challenge Tour card for the following year, and in 2018 he reached the final 45 and finished 35th.

Ewen Ferguson claimed his first DP World Tour title at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in 2022 after taking positives from a recent near-miss.

He had had a great chance of winning his first event three weeks prior in Kenya after taking a four-shot lead into the final round, but struggled on his way to a 76 on the Sunday.

“I was leading by four shots after three days. I was thinking to myself imagine if I was a winner when going to bed. I couldn’t get my head round the fact I was going out to win. I couldn’t focus on my shots, I wasn’t playing the game I usually do.”

Despite letting his four shot lead slip, Ewen took many positives away from Kenya.

“What I took from Kenya is that I was leading by four shots after three rounds and against some of the best players in the world, which is really impressive I thought. I’m obviously a very accomplished golfer to be able to do that. I can play against these guys, I can really do it.”

A few weeks later. Ewen finished eagle-par-birdie on Sunday to post the clubhouse lead of -7 to win in Qatar.

“I told myself just keep yourself there or thereabouts, all the way until the end, and then see what happens. Sure enough, I chipped in for eagle at 16 and thought this is my time to knuckle down and do it.”

Ewen worked hard with his coach Jamie Gough on Sunday morning after a disappointing round on Saturday with his wedges around the green.

“Goughy said let’s meet up an hour and a half before our warm up to work on chipping. He said my back swing was too quick so we slowed it down and squared the face up. I then got onto the 16th, I said to my caddie I fancy this as that’s exactly what we were working on in the morning. I struck it perfectly, it was into wind and watched it go in the middle of the whole.”