Daniel Young is hoping to make home advantage count again as he swaps the week-to-week grind on the HotelPlanner Tour for a shot at glory on the DP World Tour at the Nexo Championship.
After winning his maiden HotelPlanner Tour title at the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A on Sunday, he has opted to prioritise another assignment on Scottish soil rather than play at the Irish Challenge.
While it means he misses the chance to accrue further Road to Mallorca points, Young is well placed to realise his goal of promotion to the DP World Tour after climbing to sixth on the HotelPlanner Tour Rankings, with the top 20 all set to secure cards on golf's global tour.
So, with that in mind, he is approaching this week with an element of freedom, but perhaps more significantly a belief he can perform well over the Old Course at Trump International Golf Links Scotland.
"This week is massive for me," said Young, who has played predominantly on the HotelPlanner Tour since 2021.
"It’s a home event and I’d like to think the conditions at the moment - a bit of wind - favour the Scots."
Strong winds from Storm Floris saw practice limited for the field on Monday, and while this week marks a visit to a new course for the DP World Tour, Young is not short in ideas of how to navigate the layout.
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"I am also relatively familiar with the course, having played probably seven or eight times before coming up here this week," he added.
"Also, on the back of last week, prep-wise hasn’t been as hectic as it normally can be at a tournament. I walked nine holes yesterday and will play the front nine this afternoon."
Young is one of 15 Scots teeing it up this week, including a host of DP World Tour winners such as Ewen Ferguson and Connor Syme, with the tournament carrying a $2.75 million prize fund.
After a summer to remember which has also included qualifying for his Major Championship debut at The Open last month, the 33-year-old is eager to put on a show in front of friends and family.
"It is always nice to see friendly faces and, if you can give them something to shout about, you can feed off that positive energy as well," he said.
"I think I can use the home support to my advantage again."
