EWEN FERGUSON is dreaming of the Ryder Cup next year.
But just a few months ago he was fearing his golf career could be all but OVER.
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Ewen Ferguson overcome with emotion after winning the BMW International OpenCredit: Getty
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He banked the winners’ share of just under £2millionCredit: Reuters
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But his 2024 season was a bit of a roller coaster ride, as he told Iona StephenCredit: ON THE ROAD WITH IONA
The Scot claimed his biggest professional victory to date this summer, when he got his hands on one of the DP World Tour’s most coveted trophies.
It was an emotional weekend for the 28-year-old, who had his birthday during the event and burst into tears on the final green.
Ferguson was overcome with emotion because he had been going through a personal health battle for much of the early part of the season.
Unbeknown to anyone outside his close circle, Ferguson had been dealing with an invisible illness that was affecting his game and even forcing him to withdraw from tournaments.
Ferguson suffered from vertigo, leading to feelings of dizziness and nausea on and off the course.
As he struggled through the early months of 2024, Ferguson genuinely feared that he would have to stop playing altogether, which could mean losing his tour card and with that, many of his playing rights.
Things became so tough for him that he would cry on the phone to his girlfriend after events where he’d been affected by the vertigo.
Speaking about his ordeal on the On the Road with Iona YouTube show, Ferguson said: “It proper sucks, doesn’t it?
“You always think, ‘I’m good’ when you’re out and you’re healthy, you just think, it won’t happen to me.
“Then all of a sudden, something happens.
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“I played in Hamburg, still not feeling great, and I was like 60th in the rankings.
“I thought I might not be able to play much this year. So I was struggling to keep my card, like proper struggling.
“You think the worst obviously, don’t you?
“I remember crying on flights home to my girlfriend and stuff saying like, ‘What am I going to do?’
“I was withdrawing from events all the time, even shooting solid rounds and still withdrawing the next day because I was feeling so poor.”
Things came to a head for the Rangers-daft golfer at the end of June, when he decided he would take a few weeks off after pulling out of the European Open.
He returned three weeks later at the KLM Open and secured a tied-27th finish and the following week he finished tied-29th at the Italian Open.
The fact he was able to put four rounds together without adverse affects did him the world of good and it helped propel him to a career-best performance at the BMW International Open, winning with a score of 18-under to etch his name on a list of champions that includes John Daly, Ernie Els, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood.
Ferguson recalled: “I took like three, four weeks off and then came back and won the BMW.
“And all of a sudden you’re thinking like, wow, you know, the exemption helps, you’re in these events, and it’s just a nice little bit of weight off your shoulders.
“And then you can kind of work on stuff you need to work on to get better as well for the future.
“Because sometimes when you’re just chasing your card, you’re a little bit like, s***, like not gonna have time to do anything.”
Ferguson finished 31st in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai rankings and is currently ranked 138th in the world.
Next year the Ryder Cup returns, with Team Europe taking on Team USA at Bethpage Black in New York.
Ferguson would at this point admit he’s on the outside looking in but he does still dream of making it into the squad one day.
When asked if the Ryder Cup was on his mind, Ferguson said: “At some point, I will be good enough and ready to play.
“But with things like PGA Tour, when I do get there, that means I’ll be ready.
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“But I’m not just gonna chase it, you know, I’m still sometimes shocked at how well I’m doing, even on the DP World Tour.
“But eventually, yeah.”
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