Gemma Dryburgh has been looking forward to this week for a while as she gets ready to tee it up at the FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open Presented by Trust Golf.
The Scottish player is back at Dundonald Links for her home open where she finished in a tie for 34th place in 2022.
With family and friends coming to watch her play, Dryburgh is hoping for a good week of links golf back at home.
“It feels familiar which is nice,” she said. “It’s nice to come back to a course you know already and obviously family coming to watch this week, so I’m excited for that and to see the Scottish crowds as well.
“It actually really grew on me last year. We played it when I was a rookie on the LET, I think 2016 or 2017. I played it both years and it really grew on me last year, and obviously playing well probably helps, as well. I have got some good memories. I think I had a nice eagle putt last year on the fifth hole and I went birdie-eagle-birdie.
“Obviously it is a bit more pressure. You want to do well. It’s an event that you look forward to all year. I have got it in my mind that I want to play well at the Scottish, but having more experience playing it and coming back helps.
“Having a good week last week, as well, I think helps as well going into the next few weeks. Hopefully I can just relax and enjoy it.”
Since the last time, Dryburgh teed it up in front of her home crowd, she has become a winner on the LPGA Tour.
The Scotswoman won in Japan near the end of last season and has been playing consistently on Tour in 2023.
Last week the 30-year-old recorded her best-ever finish at a major with eighth place at the Amundi Evian Championship and moved up to number 50 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.
After such a good result, Dryburgh has gained some confidence and she hopes to continue that this week at Dundonald.
She explained: “I guess it gives me some confidence coming into this week as well knowing that I can win out here, winning in November last year in Japan, so it’s been a bit of a whirlwind since then but a fun one.
“A goal of mine was to win on the LPGA, so doing that, I had to readjust some goals at the start of this year. To win again is another goal of mine. To get into the Top-50 is another goal of mine, which happened last week, so I’m going to have to readjust again.
“It was the first time I’ve been in that position in a major championship, to be in contention. I used that same experience from Japan, and obviously when you’re playing well like that, it does help your confidence going into those rounds. I thought I had handled it pretty well considering.”
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