Hearts daft caddie and kick from wife inspiring Calum Hill's supercharged start to the Scottish Open
Calum Hill reckons being kicked by the wife and his Hearts -daft caddie supercharged his start.
The Fifer flew out of the Renaissance traps with a 65 and a relaxed state of mind did the trick.
In the past, the strains of self-imposed expectation had stopped Hill from really enjoying himself at his home Open. However, on this occasion, the 30-year-old was completely at ease.
Hill's good lady Miranda gave him a verbal boot in the right direction as, when asked if he'd been over-stressing himself in the past, he smiled: 'I would say there's a chance that you might be correct with that! It's my favourite event of the year and you just want to do so well.
'My wife has kicked me for the last few months just to say that this is just another event, just go and enjoy it more. I think I used to be a bit more on edge, so if anything went quite off-keel, I was a bit frustrated getting quick to disappointment and things.
'So I just try and take it a little bit easier on myself and then, obviously, good golf helps with that.
'I think it's just self-influence. You just want to do as well as you can in your Scottish Open.
'It's the best event we play all year for myself and I'm sure the other Scots will say the same thing, especially when it's getting so big now. It's such a big tournament. A good week goes a long way.'
Hill's caddie Stuart Davidson also helped with the clarity of thought as he continued: 'He doesn't slur his words. He's extremely confident in the way he says things, which means I don't have very little doubt and I think he's a very good analytical person on where that ball needs to finish to give himself the best chance.
'So I've not hit it particularly well off the tee, and on those holes, you're just looking to get back in position, and every single time, it was always in a place where it was quite a straightforward up and down.
'There was never one where I'm like: Oh my goodness, how am I going to make a par here? It was always: I've got a really good chance, followed by a couple of putts.'
Davidson is a big Hearts fan and constantly talks about them regularly as Hill said: 'He does regularly. I see that on his yardage book every time. He's always talking about them. I heard it was 8-0 against East Kilbride and I follow zero football, but that's impressive. Even I know that.'
Hill enjoyed the company of partners Padraig Harrington and Corey Conners and, speaking on the three-time Major champion, he said: 'I enjoy his pre-shot routine with the driver. He seems to thump it off the deck a few times, and then give it yaldi, every tee shot he has. There's no holding back. I remember him winning both those majors back-to-back, beating Sergio [Garcia] in one of them. That was pretty cool.'
Two of Harrington's Majors were at The Open and Hill is in position to grab one of the three available qualifying spots for Royal Portrush from East Lothian.
But, again, there's no extra pressure. He's playing golf at the Barracuda Championship in the United States if he doesn't get to Northern Ireland and the flights are refundable even if he has to change his plans.
Hill said: 'I've been trying my best. No matter what happens, I'm playing golf next week because I've always said I'll go to that one in Truckee.
'Every single year, I finish on a Sunday disappointed I didn't get into the Open because you're trying to get a last spot, and then I never fly. So I've booked flights.
'Open would be a bonus. I'd love to play Portrush. It seems like a proper event. They [flights] are refundable, so that's all right.
'It's not as if it's a small event, exactly. It's one of those where you go out and get a new experience from never playing in America. It's meant to be an awesome course. A good week there still means a lot.'
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