European Tour giant Jonathan Thomson starts well at Scottish Par 3 Championship

At a sizeable 6’ 9”, Thomson, the tallest player to ever compete on the European Tour, harnessed the conditions to good effect with a battling one-over 55 around two loops of the tricky nine-hole circuit to sit three behind Tartan Tour stalwart Stephen Gray, who chiselled out a spirited two-under 53.

Given his sheer height, there were genuine fears that Thomson, who makes the Colossus of Rhodes look more like wee Jimmy Krankie, would need to be tethered to the greens with guy ropes and industrial rivets. “I was nearly blown over,” he said with a smile as he bent down from under a light shrouding of mist to speak to the golf writers.

At least Thomson fared better than one of the Scottish Open hospitality units down the east coast at Gullane which was blasted to smithereens in the fearsome gusts.

It will take more than a hoolie whipped up by Storm Hector to blow Thomson off course and the 22-year-old continues to stand as a monument to triumph over life-threatening adversity. His tale has been well-documented but it never loses its impact.

Diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukaemia at the age of just seven, the towering Yorkshireman endured a grim but, ultimately, successful battle against the disease.

“Chemotherapy is a horrendous thing,” said Thomson. “The longest period I was in hospital was about three weeks. The chemo had attacked my internal lining so harshly that I had ulcers from my gut to my oesophagus. I couldn’t eat or drink anything. I had a drip for everything. I wasn’t able to speak for about a week. It was the worst time. There were moments when I wanted to die. I was in that much agony, so ill.”

Thomson’s against-the-odds accomplishments continued last year when he birdied the last two holes at the European Tour’s qualifying school to secure a place on the main circuit.

From plying his trade on the third-tier PGA EuroPro to suddenly flying off to Mauritius, Australia and South African on the European Tour has taken a bit of getting used to.

“I’ve forever got a stiff back and tend to be straight to the physios when I get off the planes,” said Thomson, who is a good friend of fellow Rotherham Golf Club member and former Masters champion Danny Willett. “Listen, the travel is hard but I’m getting used to it.

“My first year as a pro was on the EuroPro Tour which was essentially in the UK. I went from getting into my car and driving to an event for three days a week to going here, there and everywhere on the main tour. It’s been quite a journey and it took a long time to sink in. But now I’m comfortable with the surroundings of the tour.”

Connor Syme, who opened his challenge yesterday with a three-over 57, took the same qualifying school route to the European Tour as Thomson.

While the young Fifer kick-started his rookie campaign with a second place finish in last week’s Shot Clock Masters, Thomson is striving for that big result that will inject his year with renewed vigour. “Connor and myself have had the same schedule on the tour but his result was huge,” added Thomson, whose best finish has been a share of 39th in the Spanish Open. “One week it was him, hopefully it can be me next week. I need a big one.”

Syme was one of many players – the tournament host included – to describe the test yesterday as “brutal” but the 22-year-old was more than happy to be part of Lawrie’s short-form showpiece.

“Paul does so much for Scottish golf and a lot of players would be here in a heartbeat to support him,” said Syme. “One of my first wins was his Junior Jug event at Elgin in 2012 and that was a big stepping stone for me.”

Lawrie, meanwhile, was feeling the painful effects of a bad back as he posted a five-over 59 to sit alongside the former British Women’s Amateur Strokeplay champion, Heather MacRae.

Ladies European Tour player Vikki Laing was the best of the seven female professionals with a 58 while Michael Campbell, the New Zealander who pipped Tiger Woods to the US Open title in 2005, had to settle for an 11-over 65.