Scottish Golf supports Callum in his quest to turn professional

23-year-old Callum Bruce grew up in Banff in North East Scotland where he attended his local high school, Banff Academy. It was as a youngster during his school days where his passion for golf and his skill at the sport really developed, thanks in no small part to the support of Scottish Golf.

Scottish Golf is one of the main beneficiaries of the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation. The Scottish Golf performance programme provides players with a pathway to compete at a higher level. By exposing them to training and competition opportunities outside Scotland, they can develop a better understanding of the level required to compete on the world stage.

Hoping to turn professional soon, Callum has been able to advance up the amateur ladder by competing abroad. He recently made the cut in the European Championships and is hoping to head to South Africa soon to compete in a number of training camps and competitions.

When he completed high school in 2017, Callum was accepted on a golfing scholarship at Midland, College in Texas where he completed a degree in general studies while fine-tuning his golf skills. In 2019 he transferred his scholarship to NCAA college, San Diego State University in California where he completed a Bachelor in Social Sciences. A final year was spent at Kansas University where Callum studied Liberal Arts and Sciences, all the while progressing in the sport he loves.

“I’ve wanted to play in South Africa for several years, but I was unable to do so as I was busy with my studies in the US,” he says. “Scotland has a close association with the South African tournaments and many of our lads have done well playing out there.”

While he has spent five years in the US, Callum has always retained close links with his coach Spencer Henderson who was provided with the support of Scottish Golf. “Scottish Golf has been hugely supportive in so many ways,” he says. “I simply would not be in the position I am today without their backing. They have kept me competitive by involving me in lots of different tournaments and they’ve brought on my game by providing great coaching. They’ve also pointed me in the right way by giving me advice and guidance in important areas like nutrition and psychology, which is so important for someone like myself who wants to pursue a career as a professional golfer.

“Scottish Golf has been particularly great in bringing me together with fellow competitors. I have known some of the other players for over a decade and have made friendships that will last all my life,” says Callum.

Speaking on the impact of Alfred Dunhill on youth golf, he says: “Dunhill has given a lot of opportunities to young Scottish golfers. People like Conor Syme and Ewan Ferguson, as well as a number of young Scottish amateurs have really benefitted from playing in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.”