Scott Gregory

From U.S. Open wipeout to the European Tour.

- Alan P. Pittman

SHOOTING 92 at last year’s U.S. Open was horrible. It was one of those days where I’d hit it off the tee left. Next hole I’d say, OK, let’s nudge one in the fairway. And it’d go right. It sort of spiraled out of control. You can hear people when you’re standing on the tee, and they’re not being particularly positive. You know you’re good enough, but you feel like you’re embarrassing yourself. It was a tough thing to go through.

THE TROLLING I RECEIVED ON TWITTER SURPRISED ME.

Anytime you’re getting repeatedly tagged in negative comments, it doesn’t make you feel great. There are people out there who seem to enjoy failure. It’s a very strange mentality. It’s something that inspired me to prove them wrong. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t on my mind the last few holes of Q school. I knew qualifying for the European Tour would be a good way to shut them up. [Laughs.]

I DIDN’T EVEN EXPECT TO QUALIFY FOR THAT U.S. OPEN.

I had battled a wrist injury all spring. The tendons had gotten inflamed and were pressing on a nerve. At the top of my backswing, when I cupped my wrist and put pressure on it, I’d get a little shock up my forearm, which obviously isn’t ideal for trying to get a clubface square. [Laughs.] After I got back home from Shinnecock, I wanted to take some time off because I had had enough. I rested for five to six weeks, got it healed and then prepared for Q school.

EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING IS 14 ROUNDS.