Elvis Smylie was relishing the chance to test himself against the world’s very best as he teed it up at his second Rolex Series event at the Genesis Scottish Open.
When he made his Rolex Series debut in Dubai in January, it was just two months on from his maiden win at the BMW Australian PGA Championship, which he followed with another top five on home soil to top the early Race to Dubai Rankings.
He made the cut at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the US PGA Championship and now, after making the weekend again as part of an elite field gathered at the Renaissance Club for an event co-sanctioned with the PGA TOUR, the 23-year-old admits he is getting used to the whiff of rarified air.
“As each month has gone on I feel like I’ve got more and more comfortable out here,” he said. “I feel like week to week you’re always adjusting and adapting and I feel like I’m doing a pretty good job of that so far.
“There’s still a long way to go in the season but I’m feeling more and more comfortable each week out here.
“I’ve had the opportunity to play Major Championships, Portrush next week is going to be my third so I feel like I’ve had the opportunity to compete against the world’s best and I do feel comfortable.
“The PGA TOUR has some of the best players in the world and to be able to go up against those guys and just test myself against them is always just a step in the right direction because you want to compete against the best and see where your game shapes up.
“If I can keep doing that and keep putting myself in positions to do that my game will go from strength to strength.
“I want to play as much as I can, to put myself in the deep end, to play against these guys and constantly keep learning.
Is this the best name in golf?! 👀
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 8, 2025
Elvis Smylie is our Player in Focus, delivered by @DP_World. pic.twitter.com/0WqAcRLCSn
“Keep doing my good routines and good structures because when you’re out here on tour, you see the guys in the gym doing the work and the guys on the range so I feel like you’re in a healthy environment to continue to get better. That’s something that I've really loved.
“You try and treat each week as the same. The Rolex Series does attract a high quality field but I feel like I am starting to belong and my game is definitely good enough. It’s more just the experience of keeping playing competitive golf.”
Last season’s Open Championship was Smylie’s first taste of links golf on the DP World Tour but he had been getting himself somewhat acclimatised the week before at this event.
His coach Ritchie Smith arranged a training camp at Renaissance and Smylie admits the experience has been helpful in his efforts this year.
“I really love links golf,” he said. “It's quite a different style of golf to what we usually play on tour. I quite enjoy using the undulation and the slope and you really having to do a good job at controlling your ball flight.
“I was actually here last year doing a training camp with my coach who also coaches Min Woo Lee. I was outside the ropes last year watching so it’s nice to be inside the ropes playing.
“There were a couple of memories from last year that I've done a good job with bringing to memory this year.
“I love Scotland as well. The weather has been really nice as well, it’s really nice to play in some sunshine.”
Now inside the ropes, this week can once again serve Smylie well as he prepares for a second Open appearance at Royal Portrush.
He missed the cut last season but now he aims to use all his experience and also take some advice from a famous countryman and friend.
“Adam Scott is a good friend of mine, I’ve looked up to him since I was a kid,” he said. “Being around him and catching up with him is always nice.
“We’ve spoken a little bit just to see how we’ve been. I get to see him every now and then and I’m trying to tee up a practice round with him next week at Portrush.
“This is the best test you can get, trying to play as much links golf as you can before Portrush. It’s been quite an adjustment what the last couple of days have been compared to the golf courses we’ve been playing the last six months.
“But I’ve grown up a lot in Melbourne as well on the Sandbelt so I feel like I’m quite familiar with this style.
“When I come back here, there’s little adjustments being made, you feel like you can chip around with four or five different clubs instead of getting your 56 and 60 out. You definitely need to be more creative and use your mind a bit more.”
The DP World Tour will catch up and chart the progress of Smylie's rookie season on the DP World Tour at each Rolex Series event in 2025.
