Sugrue targets putting as he prepares for his professional debut

The Mallow man, the 2019 Amateur champion, hopes to make his pro debut in March or April

James Sugrue lines up a putt at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Golf Championship in Ballymena.

Though James Sugrue has yet to make his professional golfing debut he already knows one of the secrets to success in the paid ranks - putting 

The Mallow man, the 2019 Amateur champion, has seen the best of the best up close and personal with exemptions to the US Open, The Open Championship and the Masters in Augusta.

While he failed to make the cut in those Majors, (though he posted an under-par round at the Masters – a first for an Irish or UK amateur), Sugrue garnered one huge lesson from his time with such august company.

He told RTÉ’s Saturday Sport: "I have spent a lot of time recently doing a lot of putting over the past three or four months. That’s what I took from my experience. Whoever putts the best generally wins every week. 

"And the guys I played with were really good putters, really clinical from eight feet and in."

The European number one amateur player admitted that the Covid-19 pandemic had stalled his jump into the pro game.

"I had always planned to turn pro once I won the amateur," he said. "My amateur world ranking is the best it’s ever been and it’s trending in the right direction. To get to European number one is lovely to finish my amateur career. 

"And it’s great when looking for management and sponsorship. Without a doubt, it has changed my life drastically. It’s been an unbelievable journey, but definitely hampered by Covid.

He continued: "My manager is talking to tournament directors trying to put some sort of a schedule for me. If you play Walker Cup they usually give you seven starts on the European Tour but Covid has put the cat among the pigeons, but everyone else is in the same boat. I'm looking at March or April now and I can’t wait to get going."

And Sugrue also plans to take a leaf from Rory McIlroy’s playbook when he sets out on his new chapter. "All the work is done beforehand so I just go out and enjoy myself, and if I play bad, and that’s the worst thing that happens, then it’s not a bad thing, because life goes on. We were on a call with Rory recently and he said that he has the same approach to the game."