Grant Forrest chasing rare hat-trick of wins in Scotland

Grant Forrest is hoping to become just the second player from Scotland after Major Champion Paul Lawrie to win three times on the DP World Tour in his homeland as he defends his title at the Nexo Championship.

Alongside Colin Montgomerie and Robert MacIntyre, Forrest is one of three Scottish players to have won titles on home soil on two occassions.

He claimed a four-stroke victory over England’s Joe Dean at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire last year, having become the first Scotsman to win at home in nearly a decade when he claimed the Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews in 2021.

While Forrest faces a stern task to emulate Lawrie, with Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World leader Patrick Reed and another multiple winner this season in Eugenio Chacarra among those in action, he is up for the challenge as he tees it up for the first time since the Genesis Scottish Open last month.

"It's quite strange to see my face plastered everywhere, but it's great to be back," he said.

"Great memories from last year and after a five-week break as well, it's nice to get back playing.

"Both my wins have been in Scotland, so there must be something in that. I love playing golf in Scotland, we have amazing golf courses and links courses especially, so I definitely love playing at home."

Scottish winners on DP World Tour in Scotland

Forrest is one of 15 home hopes in the field for the final event of the Closing Swing, alongside among others Ewen Ferguson, Connor Syme, Aberdeen local David Law and 2025 Global Amateur Pathway Ranking winner Cameron Adam.

Trump International Golf Links made its DP World Tour debut last year, with Forrest setting the course record with six-under-par 66 in the second round - scooping a $30,000 bonus on offer from sponsor Nexo - on his way to victory in front of his family and friends.

Asked how he manages expectations at a venue which has brought him success, he added: "I'll just be trying to do the same stuff as always. Coming back from a break, just [take] one shot at a time and really just try and enjoy it as well."

Designed by Martin Hawtree and opened in 2012, the Old Course lies within the dunes of Scotland’s North Sea coast, across the Menie Estate at Balmedie.

Forrest was among those out practising over the modern links layout on Tuesday and is excited for the challenge ahead.

"It's great, it's in really good condition," he said.

"We had a lot of rain overnight and into this morning, but it's immaculate to be honest.

"I think even from last year it's still quite a young course, but really coming on and looking forward to the challenge this week.

"I think it's to be a different opposite wind direction to what we had last year, so sort of be playing a completely different golf course, but looking forward to getting going."

Victory 12 months ago means Forrest is exempt on Tour until the end of the 2027 season, but despite the freedom that comes with that he is itching to put together a run of form that could see him reach the DP World Tour Play-Offs.

Next week sees the start of the Back 9, featuring national opens and storied international tournaments, and the 33-year-old is determined to climb the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World from his current position of 94th.

"Up to the Scottish Open, it's been a little bit of a quiet season so far, but I don't feel like it's a million miles away," explained Forrest, who is making his 16th start of the campaign.

"I had a five-week break and I had surgery on my sinuses during the break, so I kind of wasn't able to do as much sort of practice as I maybe would have liked over the past two weeks.

"Still feeling decent about my game, it doesn't feel a million miles away, so hopefully we can put some good golf together this week.

"It's pretty relentless and I think that's why it's been nice to have a sort of five-week break, and knowing that you have bigger points and bigger events coming up to the back end of the season, and it's really tough to choose events not to play.

"I don't think I could play every event at the end of the season, they're all so good as well, so it's tough to pick a schedule and choose the ones you're going to miss."

Forrest will get his title defence under way alongside Major winner Reed and Chinese teen star Yanhan Zhou at 07:11 local time on Thursday.

Selected first round tee times

Off tenth tee

07:00 | Matthew Jordan, Pablo Ereño, Matthieu Pavon

07:11 | Grant Forrest, Patrick Reed, Yanhan Zhou

07:22 | Jacob Skov Olesen, Martin Couvra, Ewen Ferguson

Off first tee

12:00 | John Daly II, Andy Sullivan, Daniel Brown

12:11 | Eugenio Chacarra, Haotong Li, Casey Jarvis

12:22 | Michael Hollick, Connor Syme, Shaun Norris

To view the tee times in full, click here.