'I didn't know if I'd ever play again,' admits Scottish golfer Sandy Scott after securing PGA Tour card with record-breaking victory

Sandy Scott has become the latest Scottish golfer to earn a PGA Tour card after a lucrative victory in Columbus, Ohio last night.

The 28-year-old from Nairn secured his place on the prestigious US circuit with a one-stroke win in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship.

Not only did his tournament-record 18-under-par total win him promotion from America’s Korn Ferry Tour, it earned him $270,000 in prize money.

Better still, Scott can now put behind him the career-threatening wrist injury which sidelined him for 17 months and flared up again earlier this year.

The former Walker Cup player twice needed surgery after tearing ligaments in his right wrist in 2019 and admitted: ‘I was in some really low times and didn’t know if I’d ever play golf again.’

It was a challenging spell for Scott, who had enjoyed an outstanding amateur career. Even after he battled back to earn Korn Ferry Tour status in 2024, the problem persisted.

Sandy Scott lifts the trophy after winning the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship

Scott secured his PGA Tour card with a final-round 65 that earned him a one-stroke victory

This year, Scott withdrew from the BMW Charity Pro-Am – one of the more prominent regular-season events on the second-tier US Tour – and went on to miss two months of the season but his experience of the injury enabled him to maintain a positive outlook.

‘When I did come back from it in college, I had this overwhelming sense of perspective that I’m just happy to be out here competing, fulfilling this dream that I’ve always had of playing golf professionally. To be able to play well has been a bonus.’

Scott started his latest event in 13th place on the development tour, but he closed with a six-under 65 and is now second on its points list with two events remaining. He will officially receive his PGA Tour card at the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Championship in three weeks’ time.

He will join fellow Scot Bob MacIntyre on the big stage next season and follow in the footsteps of others such as Russell Knox, from Inverness, and Glaswegian Martin Laird.

Asked about his celebrations, Scott said: ‘I’m hoping Russell is around and we’ll maybe tuck into the tequila.’