For Gemma Dryburgh, who spends most of his year in the United States, stimulating his job on the LPGA tour, last week was devoted to moving into his state of mind.
His Scottish return to the ground for open Scottish Women’s Scottish, which begins at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, has a mixture of positive points and some welcome challenges.
The positive points first.
For Dryburgh d’Aberdeenshire, who has played on the LPGA tour since 2018 and was part of the European Solheim Cup team in 2023, there is little that she kisses more than returning to her country of origin.
And as the best Golfée Golfus in Scotland, she is in the position that Catriona Matthew, that Dryburgh admired as a promising young player was for countless years, that is to say, she admits, completely something.
“I am very excited by the Scottish Open. I always love to return to Scotland because I cannot do it very often these days, so it will be so pleasant to see family again and play golf links again, “explains the 32-year-old man.
“It’s very cool to enter the Scottish open as a best Scottish player. One of the other Scottish girls asked me to play a training trick, and it’s things like the one that is cool because I remember doing it myself with Catriona when I was younger.
“It’s a great position to do.”
By encouraging Dryburgh, who won the Japan Classic 2022, her shape when she goes to Dundonald is good.
Dryburgh hopes to improve his previous record for open Scottish Women’s
As for 2025, this is what she describes as a “non -spectacular but very solid and coherent season”.
This is a precise evaluation of the first six and a half months of the year, with cuts made in two of the four majors so far, as well as some investments among the first 20 on the LPGA.
Most pleasantly for the Scottish, however, is how she feels of her game than she did it twelve months ago.
And this form, associated with its experience and its love of links, the golf will be hoping, will make a strong performance in the Ayrshire next week in what will be its ninth appearance at Women’s Scottish Open.
“My form this season was quite solid and I had decent results, although nothing stands out massively. But I was consistent and I tend in the right direction, ”she says.
“I feel much more confident in my game right now that I was not this time last year.
“Confidence is so easy to lose, but so difficult to strengthen. But this year, my swing was so strong and it helped my confidence in the TEE, which is obviously massive. And my implementation was also really consistent.
“Links Golf is so different from the golf course in which I play a week, week on the LPGA, so it’s nice to return to my roots and play a more creative golf course.
“And I know the Dundonald course well, which still helps.”
Scottish back to ground should help Dryburgh
Dryburgh’s return to Scottish soil will, however, have considerable tests. As a Scottish number one, the hopes of a home winner rest mainly at his feet and support such expectations, in particular given the strength of the field which also includes the world number one of Nelly Korda, the double winner of LPGA Charley Hull, the defending champion Lauren Coghlin and the most recent major winner Grace Kim, was not always easy.
But the growing experience of the Scottish allowed it to be as well equipped to meet its status as a home favorite as they have never been.
“I had trouble with the pressure of playing at home over the years, but I feel like I was gradually improving to face it,” says Dryburgh.
“There is certainly more pressure because being at home, you really want to perform well because you have your family there, and obviously there is also the crowd. So, even if there is pressure, it is a privilege to have this pressure. This is the position in which I wanted to be when I grew up, watching the Tournament on television.”
And Dryburgh’s return to Links Golf this week means that she is forced to make subtle but important adjustments to her game if she wants to challenge the ranking next week.
“The biggest adjustment is that the Greens here are much slower than what I am used to in the United States, so I just need to get used to it at speed,” she said.
“It is such a change of mind, and I noticed that some of the guys from the Male Scottish Open also spoke about it. It is therefore a priority in the days preceding the start of the tournament. ”
With the Women’s Open which takes place in Royal Porthcawl in Wales the week after the Open of Scottish women, these are two of the most important weeks of the season for Dryburgh. She admits that she is desperate for a solid performance, and optimistic that, all going to plan, she has the capacity to produce very impressive results during the next fortnight, as well as to have fun.
“It can be difficult to enjoy these tournaments at home because, for the moment, the nerves can take over. But in recent years, I have appreciated, enjoying it and kissing the feeling of the nerves, “she said.
“Regarding the results, the two victories during the next fortnight would be the dream.
“But above all, the top 10 in one or the following two tournaments would also be a good result.
“I have the impression of doing the Top 10 at Open Scottish is definitely feasible given my experience with the golf course and the way I play, so I look forward to.”