Joshua Jamieson's successful run of play this summer has carried into the Northwestern golf season, and that's good news for 'Cats fans.
In July, Jamieson reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Amateur Championship, making an impressive 29 birdies and two eagles as he made his way through the 256-man field.
This week, Jamieson played remarkably consistent, shooting 72-73-72 in windy conditions at to take sixth at the Erin Hills Intercollegiate played at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin, the course that will play host to the 2017 United States Open Championship. That performance earned him Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors, the first time he's earned that title. The Wildcats finished in the top ten of the tournament, which was won by traditional powerhouse UCLA.
We caught up with Jamieson to see how he's feeling about his game, this summer, and the upcoming season.
InsideNU: Talk about this week. How was the golf course? Scoring was relatively low, especially on the final day; can you see this track putting up a stiff test for the world's best in the 2017 US Open?
Joshua Jamieson: The course was great. I've always felt really comfortable out there, it really feels similar to the courses I'm used to at home. It's very exposed to wind, and that's the way I like it. The scoring was indeed low on the last day, but that's because they played a few of the tees up and the sun came out so everyone seemed to seize the opportunity to score. But if they get that place playing firm and fast, as the USGA likes to do, and grow the rough, put the tees back and pins in the corners then it could play tremendously difficult. It's just so exposed to the wind and those long tees are really, really long.
INU: You had a terrific summer, reaching the semifinals of your country's Amateur Championship. How has the success from summer affected your confidence and outlook for the season?
JJ: I guess this summer was big for me, yeah. I played some big tournaments and played with some big players and my game held up with most of them. Most importantly, my game was consistent, and consistent under pressure! Coming over here I now feel there are no players I should lose to and there's no more time to mess about, it's now time to show what I'm made of on this stage, if not for me but for my coaches and for Northwestern.
INU: What a thrill it must have been to hear that you're the Big Ten Golfer of the Week. Tell us what that moment was like, when you first heard the news?
JJ: I was in class when I heard. I was happy, it's great to have those extra bits of recognition for good results, especially in such a prestigious conference. It's also a good thing to keep you motivated- it's like, getting the honor felt so good, now I want to get it again.
INU: What is this team's ceiling?
JJ: I don't think there's a ceiling for this team. We have seven guys who all could step up and perform if given the nod by the coaches. Sure, with a younger team we'll have tough times as younger players compound errors a bit more. But we now have three seniors with a ton of experience who have all proven they can play great and now we have three really talented, hard working, and motivated freshman. So I'd say it's a very exciting for Northwestern golf (also with the girls doing so well).