Ross Drummond
Encyclopedia
Ross Drummond is a Scottish
professional golfer
from Paisley
whose most successful year on the PGA European Tour
was chronicled by The Guardian
's golf correspondent, Lawrence Donegan
, in the book Four Iron in the Soul. Drummond did not win a tournament on the European Tour despite a long career, although he did finish as a runner-up at the 1996 Slaley Hall Northumberland Challenge
. Having retired from the European Tour at the end of 2004, Drummond now plays regularly on the European Seniors Tour
.
and has frequently been described as a "journeyman
" professional. Since 2007, he has been playing on the European Seniors Tour
.
for the lowest single-round score posted by a British or Irish player at the 1987 Open Championship
at Muirfield, carding a 66 in his second round. In 1996, he finished runner-up to Retief Goosen
in the inaugural Slaley Hall Northumberland Challenge
and third behind Jesper Parnevik
and Colin Montgomerie
at the Trophée Lancôme
, and finished in 42nd place on that year's European Tour Order of Merit. Drummond's 1996 season, which proved to be his most successful on the European Tour, was the subject of the book Four Iron in the Soul, written by The Guardian
's golf correspondent, Lawrence Donegan
, who caddied
for him that year. According to Donegan, Drummond was the first player on the tour to employ the services of sports psychologist Jos Vanstiphout
. Donegan had first met Drummond while researching an article on journeymen professionals, and writes in his book that this is "a description that might have been invented for him", noting that "I don't mean that derisively".
Despite his success in 1996, Drummond subsequently lost his card in 1997, ending a 20-year run on the tour. After failing to regain his tour card at the 1997 European Tour Qualifying School
, he won the Qualifying School in 1998 but never managed to re-establish himself on the European Tour, having unsuccessfully participated in the Qualifying School in 1999 and 2000.
Reflecting on his career at the Senior PGA Championship in May 2009, he stated: "I would say that I've just squeaked by. I've never been supported by sponsors. In the mid-1980s I had a sponsorship for a couple of years but it really wasn't a lot of money. I've never had any endorsements that paid big money. And, I basically funded [my career] myself". By 2000, he was describing himself as "semi-retired" because he only had a small number of invitations to play in European PGA events, though he won the Tartan Tour Order of Merit that season and came tied second in the Madeira Island Open
. He played his last tournaments on the European Tour in 2004.
Drummond subsequently stated that he felt he had the ability to win a tournament on the 2008 circuit. His best result of the season was tied second place at the Jersey Seniors Classic
in June. In 2008, he won prize money amounting to €106,343 and was ranked 17th. In 2009, Drummond's best finishes were tied third at the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open and third outright at the Benahavis Senior Masters
. He won a total of €97,920, finishing 11th on the tour. He had led the U.S. Senior PGA Championship
by two strokes after two rounds, but ended up finishing tied 37th. In 2010, he finished 16th on the tour, with winnings of €122,013; his best result of the year was second in the Handa Irish Senior Open.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1981)
WD = Withdrew
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
from Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
whose most successful year on the PGA European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
was chronicled by The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
's golf correspondent, Lawrence Donegan
Lawrence Donegan
Lawrence Donegan , is a musician and journalist, currently Golf Correspondent at The Guardian.Donegan was educated at St Modan's High School and the University of Glasgow, where his musical career began. He was the bassist in The Bluebells, whose biggest hit was "Young at Heart," and Lloyd Cole and...
, in the book Four Iron in the Soul. Drummond did not win a tournament on the European Tour despite a long career, although he did finish as a runner-up at the 1996 Slaley Hall Northumberland Challenge
Great North Open
The Great North Open was the final name of a European Tour golf tournament which was played at Slaley Hall, a country house golf resort in Northumberland in North East England, six years out of seven between 1996 and 2002. It was also played as the Slaley Hall Northumberland Challenge and the...
. Having retired from the European Tour at the end of 2004, Drummond now plays regularly on the European Seniors Tour
European Seniors Tour
The European Seniors Tour is a professional tour for male golfers aged 50 and over run by the PGA European Tour.The Tour was founded in 1992. In 2008 it had a total prize fund of €7,729,284, so it is much further behind the U.S.-based Champions Tour in relative prize money than the main European...
.
Career
Drummond played for 24 years on the PGA European TourPGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
and has frequently been described as a "journeyman
Journeyman (sports)
A journeyman or journeywoman is an athlete or professional sports player who is technically competent, but unable to excel. In certain parts of the world the term has less negative connotations and the inability to excel is not needed for a player to be labelled thus.-Definitions:Alexandra Allred...
" professional. Since 2007, he has been playing on the European Seniors Tour
European Seniors Tour
The European Seniors Tour is a professional tour for male golfers aged 50 and over run by the PGA European Tour.The Tour was founded in 1992. In 2008 it had a total prize fund of €7,729,284, so it is much further behind the U.S.-based Champions Tour in relative prize money than the main European...
.
European Tour
Drummond turned pro in 1975. He won the Tooting Bec CupTooting Bec Cup
The Tooting Bec Cup is a trophy awarded each year by the Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland to the association member born in, or with a parent or parents born in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland who returns the lowest single-round score in The Open...
for the lowest single-round score posted by a British or Irish player at the 1987 Open Championship
1987 Open Championship
The 1987 Open Championship was the 116th Open Championship held from 16-19 July at Muirfield Golf Links in Gullane, Scotland. Nick Faldo won his first major championship by one stroke over Paul Azinger and Rodger Davis.-First round:-Second round:...
at Muirfield, carding a 66 in his second round. In 1996, he finished runner-up to Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S...
in the inaugural Slaley Hall Northumberland Challenge
Great North Open
The Great North Open was the final name of a European Tour golf tournament which was played at Slaley Hall, a country house golf resort in Northumberland in North East England, six years out of seven between 1996 and 2002. It was also played as the Slaley Hall Northumberland Challenge and the...
and third behind Jesper Parnevik
Jesper Parnevik
Jesper Bo Parnevik is a Swedish professional golfer. He spent 38 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings in 2000 and 2001.-Early years:...
and Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...
at the Trophée Lancôme
Trophée Lancôme
The Trophée Lancôme was a professional golf tournament which was staged in France from 1970 to 2003.Gaëtan Mourgue D'Algue, a French golf enthusiast from Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, hoped to popularize the then little-known sport of Golf in France during the early 1960s...
, and finished in 42nd place on that year's European Tour Order of Merit. Drummond's 1996 season, which proved to be his most successful on the European Tour, was the subject of the book Four Iron in the Soul, written by The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
's golf correspondent, Lawrence Donegan
Lawrence Donegan
Lawrence Donegan , is a musician and journalist, currently Golf Correspondent at The Guardian.Donegan was educated at St Modan's High School and the University of Glasgow, where his musical career began. He was the bassist in The Bluebells, whose biggest hit was "Young at Heart," and Lloyd Cole and...
, who caddied
Caddy
In golf, a caddy is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives insightful advice and moral support. A good caddy is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with the best strategy in playing it. This includes knowing overall yardage, pin...
for him that year. According to Donegan, Drummond was the first player on the tour to employ the services of sports psychologist Jos Vanstiphout
Jos Vanstiphout
Jos Vanstiphout is a Belgian sports psychologist who specializes in golf. Despite having no professional training as a psychologist, he has worked with notable clients, including Ernie Els, Thomas Levet, Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell, Pádraig Harrington, Barry Lane, Sergio García and Søren Hansen...
. Donegan had first met Drummond while researching an article on journeymen professionals, and writes in his book that this is "a description that might have been invented for him", noting that "I don't mean that derisively".
Despite his success in 1996, Drummond subsequently lost his card in 1997, ending a 20-year run on the tour. After failing to regain his tour card at the 1997 European Tour Qualifying School
European Tour Qualifying School
The European Tour Qualifying School is an annual golf tournament which enables professional golfers to gain a place on the European Tour and its official development tour, the Challenge Tour....
, he won the Qualifying School in 1998 but never managed to re-establish himself on the European Tour, having unsuccessfully participated in the Qualifying School in 1999 and 2000.
Reflecting on his career at the Senior PGA Championship in May 2009, he stated: "I would say that I've just squeaked by. I've never been supported by sponsors. In the mid-1980s I had a sponsorship for a couple of years but it really wasn't a lot of money. I've never had any endorsements that paid big money. And, I basically funded [my career] myself". By 2000, he was describing himself as "semi-retired" because he only had a small number of invitations to play in European PGA events, though he won the Tartan Tour Order of Merit that season and came tied second in the Madeira Island Open
Madeira Island Open
The Madeira Islands Open is a men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour, played on the Madeira Islands in Portugal. It was founded in 1993 and is often the first event of the season played in Europe, after the season has spent the northern winter in Asia, Australasia and South Africa...
. He played his last tournaments on the European Tour in 2004.
European Seniors Tour
In February 2007, Drummond played his first tournament on the European Seniors Tour at the DGM Barbados Open at Royal Westmoreland, finishing joint 6th. He finished as runner-up in two events in 2007, at the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open and the Charles Church Scottish Seniors Open, coming 6th in the overall rankings for the year and winning total prize money of €172,002.Drummond subsequently stated that he felt he had the ability to win a tournament on the 2008 circuit. His best result of the season was tied second place at the Jersey Seniors Classic
Jersey Seniors Classic
The Matrix Jersey Classic is a men's senior professional golf tournament on the European Seniors Tour. It has been held each year since 1996 at La Moye Golf Club in Jersey. It indirectly replaced the Jersey Open, an event on the main European Tour which was staged at the same venue from 1978 to 1995...
in June. In 2008, he won prize money amounting to €106,343 and was ranked 17th. In 2009, Drummond's best finishes were tied third at the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open and third outright at the Benahavis Senior Masters
Benahavís Senior Masters
De Benahavís Senior Masters is a golftournament of the European Seniors Tour.The Senior Masters is held at La Quinta Golf & Country Club near Marbella, Spain....
. He won a total of €97,920, finishing 11th on the tour. He had led the U.S. Senior PGA Championship
Senior PGA Championship
The Senior PGA Championship is one of the five major championships in men's senior golf. It is administered by the Professional Golfers' Association of America and is recognized as a major championship by both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour. It was formerly an unofficial money...
by two strokes after two rounds, but ended up finishing tied 37th. In 2010, he finished 16th on the tour, with winnings of €122,013; his best result of the year was second in the Handa Irish Senior Open.
Professional wins (6)
- 1986 Scottish Professional Championship
- 1987 Scottish Professional Championship
- 1989 Scottish Professional Championship
- 1990 Scottish Professional Championship
- 1998 European Tour Qualifying SchoolEuropean Tour Qualifying SchoolThe European Tour Qualifying School is an annual golf tournament which enables professional golfers to gain a place on the European Tour and its official development tour, the Challenge Tour....
- 2005 Scottish Matchplay Championship
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters The Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
CUT | CUT | DNP | CUT | T31 | DNP | T72 | T35 | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters The Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
CUT | DNP | DNP | T63 | DNP | T31 | CUT | DNP | CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1981)
WD = Withdrew
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.