It’s 10 years now since Grant Forrest won the Scottish Boys’ Championship.
A decade on, he’s all grown up and playing on the European Tour.
“I thought buying a house recently made me feel old but reminding me that my Scottish Boys’ win was 10 years ago makes it worse,” said Forrest.
At 26, he’s hardly a wizened old veteran but the years have hurtled by. “It’s been quite a crazy journey from then until now,” reflected the former Walker Cup player, who safeguarded his European Tour card during a solid rookie season on the main circuit in 2019.
“I wanted to play golf for a living from the age of 14.so to be out here doing it means it’s a dream come true.”
Buying his own flat in Haddington is one of the perks of this potentially lucrative career.
Not that he’ll see much of his new pad as he bounces around the globe with the kind of here, there and everywhere regularity you’d get during a series of Wish You Were Here.
Forrest is currently in the pleasant climes of Dubai limbering up for the European Tour’s desert swing, which starts next week in Abu Dhabi.
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He began the 2020 campaign just before Christmas with a share of fourth in the Mauritius Open and, having enjoyed a good four-week holiday, he’s eager to get cracking again.
Forrest may have comfortably retained his playing privileges at the top table but the former Scottish Amateur champion is certainly not just wanting to be part of the tour’s rank and file.
The uplifting exploits of his fellow Scottish rookie, Robert MacIntyre, last year set a high standard and raised expectations.
And Forrest is determined to make his own big impression as 2020 continues to unravel.
“Last year I was tied for the lead in Morocco with nine to play and it was great to put myself in that position,” he reflected. “I also had a good result in Ireland playing in front of the biggest crowds I’d ever experienced.
“A lot of people have complimented me on my season and while it is fine to be playing on the European Tour again this year, I feel there is much more to come.
“At the end of the day I finished 94th on the rankings and that means there were 93 guys who beat me.
“If you can look yourself in the mirror and be content with finishing 94th then that’s fine … but it’s not me.”
During his promotion push from the Challenge Tour in 2018, Forrest finished second three times while his maiden campaign on the European Tour was illuminated by a couple of sturdy top-10s.
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Having just missed out on making the play-off for the title in Mauritius in December, Forrest remains happy to play the waiting game in this pursuit of fine margins, what-ifs and what-might-have-beens.
“You have to have immense patience in this game and I’m confident my time will come.
“There’s definitely an element of frustration in there because you want to win but I take encouragement from every time I’m in that position. It’s all experience in the bank.
“Bob [MacIntyre] had a phenomenal season last year and Dave [Law] had a fantastic win down in Australia.
“For me that doesn’t add pressure but encourages me even more and a win is one of my main goals.
“You put all the hard work in but you never really know where it’s going to take you.
“You just have to believe in yourself.”
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