Ewen Ferguson looked strong at the Dubai Invitational that concluded on Sunday, January 14. With his 10-under 274 score and a T11 finish, Ferguson offered a very different picture to the one he left in South Africa at the end of 2023.
Ferguson remains in Dubai to compete in his second tournament of the year at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. In an interview with The Scotsman, the player gave a critical review of his performances towards the end of 2023.
This is part of what Ewen Ferguson said:
"I probably shouldn’t have gone to South Africa at the end of the year. I went to try and get some points on the board, but I wasn’t in the right headspace. My attitude was shocking and that’s why I pulled out of the second event and decided to get back here to Dubai."
Ewen Ferguson also shared with The Scotsman the strategy he has adopted to face the 2024 season and seek better results. Here's how he put it:
"I think this year I’m going to try and take a bit more time off. I’m going to try and be a bit fresher when I am playing... My aim is to play three-week stints and focus on getting things right in those events. I just want to try and do things a bit more professionally and back myself a bit more."
Ewen Ferguson closed out 2023 by playing two tournaments in South Africa, the Investec South African Open Championship (where he missed the cut) and the Alfred Dunhill Championship (from which he withdrew).
Ewen Ferguson's 2023 season at a glance
Ewen Ferguson, 27, played 28 DP World Tour tournaments during the 2023 season and made the cut 20 times. He also achieved seven Top 10 finishes.
Ferguson's best result of the season was a third-place finish at the SDC Championship. Also of note were his fourth-placed finishes in the Jonsson Workwear Open and the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo.
Another good result for Ferguson in 2023 was finishing T9 at the DP World Tour Championship. He also made his debut in Majors (The Open Championship) during the season. However, he couldn't make the cut.
Ferguson is in his sixth season on the European Tour. So far, he has achieved two victories (both in 2022) and 13 Top 10s in 87 tournaments played.