Walker Cup contender hailed as 'inspiration' for next generation of Scottish golfers

Cameron Adam, who joined the foundation as a nine-year-old in 2012, was already on GB&I captain Dean Robertson’s radar for the biennial match against the US at Cypress Point in California in September before winning the St Andrews Links Trophy earlier this month.

The Royal Burgess left-hander subsequently suffered the disappointment of failing to make the match-play stage in The R&A Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s, but is hoping to make amends with a strong showing in this week’s European Amateur Championship in Sweden.

“Everything is special at St Andrews, as I said to people when we played in the St Andrews Links Collegiate last year,” said Adam of not just being involved in that but ending up on the winning side in the men’s event for Northwestern University. “And, for me, it is so cool to have family and friends there when you are playing at the Home of Golf.”

In a dramatic finish on the Old Course, Adam, the 2023 Scottish Amateur champion, birdied the last to force a play-off with Irishman John Doyle as the pair tied on 17 under par after 72 holes. The left-hander then won the first extra hole with a par to become the first Scot since Grant Forrest in 2014 to land the prestigious prize.

“I definitely learned things about myself in that event, having coped with different situations that I hadn’t coped with as well in the past in events,” he admitted. “Going up the last hole, for instance, knowing I needed to birdie it to get into a play-off and even more so that I got up and down after not hitting the best of tee shots.”

Adam, an Edinburgh man who now lives in Pattiesmuir in Fife after moving across the Firth of Forth with his family, finished his fourth and final year at Northwestern at the end of the latest US college campaign.

He followed in the footsteps of former world No 1 and current European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, as well as 2022 US Open winner Matthew Fitzpatrick, by heading to the Illinois university, where David Inglis, the former British Boys’ champion from Roslin in Midlothian, is the head men’s coach.

“I can’t speak highly enough of the Northwestern programme,” he declared. “It’s been everything for me and I feel the progress I’ve made with my game over the last four years with Pat (Goss, the director of golf and player development) and ‘Dingles’ is unparalleled. I’m in a way better place to turn professional than I could ever have been.

“I think my sophomore year was the only year I didn’t have a Scottish team-mate. I had Eric McIntosh in my first year then Archie Finnie and Niall Shiels Donegan both came in. It’s always nice to have people around you that you know and it definitely made it all a bit easier for me.

“I’m now finished at Northwestern and will see the rest of this year out as an amateur then see where I sit at the end of the year and will hopefully be turning pro at that point.”

Before then, Adam is hoping to tee up a major debut in the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush when he competes alongside the likes of Lee Westwood, Alex Noren and Adrian Meronk in next Tuesday’s Final Qualifier at Dundonald Links.

He’s then almost certain to be in action for Scotland, albeit in the B Division in Hungary rather than the main event in Ireland, in the European Men’s Team Championship.

Adam is then hoping to be picked for the Great Britain & Ireland team for the St Andrews Trophy in Spain at the end of July, with his big goal this year being that Walker Cup clash at one of the game’s iconic venues on the California coast on 6-7 September.

“To be part of GB&I get-together at Cypress Point earlier in the year was awesome,” he said. “Cypress is such a unique place. It’s short; it’s quirky. In my eyes, it’s a great place for us to go and get a win.

“You can have a massive advantage by learning the ins and outs of it and that’s why I felt it was so important for us to get down there. Indeed, I thought it was a little bit strange that the Americans didn’t decide to hold their camp there.

“For us, it was such a valuable couple of days and I think it is going to stand us in good stead. I was also part of a get-together at Dumbarnie before the Links Trophy.

“It’s great to get all the guys together and create a team camaraderie. I think that’s what we do so well over this side of the pond and I think it is an exciting year for GB&I.”

It has already been an exciting one for those involved with the Stephen Gallacher Foundation as far as Adam is concerned. “We are incredibly proud of him,” said the foundation’s manager, Scott Knowles, a former Scottish Golfer of the Year.

“Since joining the foundation as a nine-year-old in 2012, he’s gone on to achieve so much, winning multiple SGF and national titles and eventually becoming an SGF ambassador.

“What makes him truly special is not just his success on the course, but his continued commitment to giving back by always willing to support and inspire the next generation of young golfers. He’s not just someone the kids can look up to in golf but in life as well.”

Set up by the four-time DP World Tour winner in 2012 on the back of Paul Lawrie launching his junior programme in the North-East, the Stephen Gallacher Foundation goes from strength to strength, as the latest participation figures illustrate.

“We’ve enjoyed a 63 per cent increase across our programmes,” reported Knowles. “This incredible growth shows the passion, commitment, and talent of the young golfers we work with, as well as the amazing support from families, coaches and the wider community.

“We have now 1850 people on our mailing list for the foundation and have over 700 kids now actively registered to enter events, with just under 100 of them aged under 10, which is great for the future.

“Up to this date last year, 637 kids had played in our events and this year that figure is now up to 1017. We now also hold events - a mixture of WAGR, EGR, 18 Hole Stroke Play and Flag Events - in Lothians, Fife, Glasgow, Ayrshire, Perthshire, Borders and Northumberland.

“We run 15 orders of merits for different categories throughout the year. With all that on top of our ambassadorships, school coaching, winter coaching, national mentoring and pathway programmes, it certainly keeps Stuart Johnston and myself busy.”