Two childhood friends and contemporaries. Two contrasting careers.
As a junior in Western Australia, Robbie Morrison grew up playing and competing with, among others, Min Woo Lee. He never felt inferior and had his share of victories, even if it felt that his competitor tended to save his best for the big events. At the most recent Pebble Beach Pro Am, with a purse of 20 million dollars up for grabs, Min finished runner up. Ranked 31 in the world, his career earnings edge closer to 11 million dollars. Back in his native Scotland, Robbie continued making phone calls to secure sponsorship for the upcoming Tartan Pro Tour season. Without the funds, he accepts that this season might be his last shot at a career in professional golf.
The last thing I want is to fall out of golf because I’ve ran out of money. Some of it is my fault, some of it is management, but you don’t want it to end that way.
How can a player so obviously talented find himself on the brink of giving up the dream? How do two similarly matched juniors end up going down such different paths?
Robbie’s golfing story is full of near misses and bad luck at bad times. It’s also a story of self-confessed errors of judgement on and off the course. It’s a story of the murkier side of the development tours, where a good sponsor can make all the difference but so can a bad one. However, it’s a story that remains incomplete, and at 29 years old can still have a happy ending. This is the tale so far.
A World Class Golfing Upbringing
As a young boy, Robbie began playing at Kilmacolm Golf Club in the West of Scotland with his Dad. At age 14, he moved with his family to Perth, Western Australia. From here, his game went from strength to strength, getting down to a plus handicap by age 16. His progress was surely due in no small part to the wealth of talent he was surrounded by.
Western Australia was a fantastic spot for pros and elite amateurs, most notably Min Woo Lee. You also had the likes of Jarryd Felton, who was number 5 in the World Amateur rankings at one point, and Stephen Dartnall. At Royal Perth, where I was a member, there was Brett Rumford, a 6 time European Tour winner who I cannot thank enough for all the help he gave me, and Brady Watt. You also had the likes of Stephen Leaney who finished runner up in the US Open, and Curtis Luck who won the US Amateur and Asia Pacific Amateur. There was Brad Logan and Terry Gale who had 45 wins worldwide, Lincoln Reemayer and Gavin Reed. That was kind of my youth, hanging around those guys and learning from them.
Even with the exceptional competition around him, Robbie had an excellent record as an amateur. He won the coveted Kelly Rogers Medal as leading amateur three times between 2015 and 2018, and captained the Western Australia State School Boys team. He reached 4th in the amateur rankings for Western Australia and 16th in the country.
Robbie often describes himself as being a little bit over confident as a younger man. He tells of being humbled by short-game guru Brett Rumford in a chipping competition when he previously thought he was “the best thing since sliced bread”. In spite of this, deep down there was a lack of self-belief at the time, partly as a result of all the talent he was surrounded by. He found it difficult to win events as a junior and as an amateur, often scoring very low, finishing in and around the top 5 without being able to get over the line.
One of his near misses at this time was the 2017 Australian Amateur. He defeated Englishman Jack Singh Brar, 20th in the World Amateur Rankings at the time, 4 and 3 in the last 16. It was a result that raised eyebrows, and paved the way for a quarter final clash with Min Woo Lee.
We were always ranked around the same, but I got outdriven. You play with him every day but you never see him in the full tournament mode. It didn’t feel like an ass-whooping at the time but looking back, maybe it was. I got him back in other events but he did it in the big one.
If you sat with Min in a room, you wouldn’t think of him as Min Woo Lee the professional golfer, but if we played a game of Uno for example, he’d want to crush you. He wouldn’t want to beat you, he’d want to destroy you. And if that became a chipping comp, even more so. That’s what made him so good.
At the 2018 Royal Fremantle Amateur, Robbie lead Min by 2 shots with 5 to play. On a par 4 down the stretch, with the wind blowing off towards the water on the right, on a hole “you’d never hit driver on”, Min pulled out the driver, hit the green and 2-putted for birdie. Robbie dropped a shot on the stretch and ended up losing in a playoff. This mental struggle to close out wins, as opposed to the win-at-all-costs mentality that saw others rise into prominence internationally, is something that Robbie continues to work on to this day.
Turning Pro
A regret of Robbie’s is missing out on the opportunity to gain a scholarship in America. If he could turn back the clock, it’s one thing he would change. Going against the grain amongst his peers at the time, he applied for colleges across the States after finishing school. After initially being unsuccessful, he applied again the following year and was accepted into Kansas State, at the time one of the top golfing colleges in America. However, he was unable to enrol. Due to having a year out of education, he would have needed to start at a community college instead. An early opportunity missed, that possibly could have taken his career in golf down a very different path.
In 2018, at 21 years old, he enrolled in Curtin College in Perth to study Computer Science. After only a few weeks, he decided it was “the worst thing I’d ever thought of doing” and he ended up sitting in the clubhouse at Royal Perth, back at square 1, with his Dad and Brett, trying to come up with a plan for his future.
They asked me what I wanted to do, and I’m like…I just want to play. Dad said he’d been thinking about it too and said, I’ll do you a deal. I’ll give you four years from now and I’ll sponsor you. Brett kind of said the same, that he’d guide me and help me where I needed it, and in 4 years we’ll be into Tour Pro Life.
Robbie turned pro in 2018, getting through Q-School and registering for the Australasia Tour. He travelled extensively around Australia and New Zealand, gaining valuable competitive experience. Compared to the development tours in the UK, the fields were large and the prize money was very good, only adding to the professionalism of the events. Robbie also had an eye-opening trip to play in Papa New Guinea, an event that ended up involving caddie related dramas, thefts and bows and arrows. Worthy of its own article.
However, results weren’t as good as hoped overall, with Robbie losing his status after finishing 101st in the Order of Merit- a place in the top 100 would have been enough to secure a spot for the following year. The mentality issue raising its head.
I was probably too laid back. I turned up to events thinking I’d be fine, I’d play well no matter what, not really realising that I was trying to keep a job at the end of the day. I think I was too young, maybe not age wise but maturity wise, maybe not understanding everything that was going on around me.
Meanwhile, at the same time, Min Woo was making international headlines upon making 2 top-5 and 2 top-20 finishes in his first handful of starts on the European Tour. Closely matched as juniors, the fine margins separating them was threatening to turn into a large gulf.
After missing out completely on Q-School for the Australasia Tour the following season, Robbie fought his way back in. After moving to Sydney and finding a good sponsor in Precision Golf, his unphased and laid back personality, on this occasion, came up trumps.
They asked me what events I was going to play if I didn’t have my card for the year. I said I’d just go and Monday qualify for everything, it can’t be that hard. I was still too cocky for my own good at this point. I drove down to Melbourne from Sydney, an 11 hour drive- I recommend flying- went out, shot 5 under and qualified no problem. I couldn’t believe it. All of a sudden, I had this flicker of hope out of nowhere, and had qualified for the 2nd biggest event on the Australian calendar at the time.
Not only did he qualify, he also played very well and made the cut. Unfortunately, the weekend didn’t quite go to plan after a falling out with his caddy, who arrived 15 minutes before tee-off and immediately went to ask Robbie’s playing partner for an autograph. Nonetheless, his excellent performance sparked a re-rank, and just like that he was back on tour. Fresh hope, fresh impetus.
An Unhappy Homecoming
When attempting to rise through the ranks of development tours, there is no escaping the vital importance of sponsorships. With money behind you, you have the freedom to concentrate on your game. Money is pivotal at this level, and golfers cannot turn it down. But it is never a guarantee, it can be given and taken away, and it doesn’t always work out as planned. Unfortunately, Robbie discovered this the hard way.
At a practise round for an event on the Australasian Tour, he was introduced to LPGA superstar Christina Kim, through Min Woo and Min Jee Lee.
Amazing person, kind of an Ian Poulter for America. She was fantastic with me, and she invited me to a barbecue with players, caddies and sponsors. I thought amazing, I’ll be there. And while I was there I met this manager who looked after some amazing players. And he kind of talked me into going back to the UK, that’s where some of the best players in the world are, it’ll be easier to get you around, so we’ve got to do it.
It seemed to make sense. While the Australasia Tour is a fantastic entry into professional golf and sets you up for the Asia Tour, the clearest route into the big time was to get on to the European Tour back home. He was promised starts on the Challenge Tour, one step down from the European. If he could perform well, anything was possible. Still in his mid-20s, it was an offer that he couldn’t turn down.
In Robbie’s words, the “red flags” started appearing early on. All funds and sponsorships were to go directly through the manager, so he had no real idea of his incomings and outgoings.
Just days after landing back in Scotland, Europe went into lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once the days of lockdown and playing Call of Duty for hours with Min every night passed, more red flags emerged. The Challenge Tour starts he felt he was promised, 14 in total, became 6.
Soon after, he received an email to say that his manager’s hands were tied, and he couldn’t get him invites to any Challenge Tour events. He was advised to continue playing Tartan Pro events, one level further down the ladder, but to continue sending bills through. Eventually, he received a phone call to say the money was all gone, ties were severed, and he was back to square one.
I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was living with my Grandma at the time, and it was all a messy situation. I was on the opposite side of the world to my parents and my support system was no longer close to me. I didn’t have anyone to chat to, I’d been away from my schoolmates for 13 years. That isolating feeling of being in lockdown, that many people can relate to, caused me to eat more, almost as a distraction. I’ll be honest, I fell into a really dark place. I was looking at my clothes thinking: “there’s no way I’m going to fit into any of these”. It became debilitating.
At that stage in his life, still a young man, Robbie admits that mistakes were made along the way. Managing a budget when trying to compete all around the UK is not an easy task. Ask any professional, and they’ll tell you it’s one of the hardest parts of the job. Some expenditure could have been trimmed, and with the benefit of hindsight and experience he would have approached aspects of this time differently. What ifs remain, some questions are still unanswered, but what is for sure is that the episode was an example of the fine lines that can make or break a career in professional golf.
For his childhood friend Min, the story off the course couldn’t have been more different.
Min had a healthy amount of money donated into his career, from a guy who believed in him and wanted to be a part of it. With that money, you never have the issue of- “if I play this week and I don’t make any money, I won’t be able to play next week.” It gives you the freedom to just be able to play.
We used to chuckle because he used to go to the range and hit drivers as hard as he possibly could, then wedges from 140 yards in, then go to the putting green and only hit 8 and 12-footers. It was like, “what is this kid doing?!” But Min’s coach at the time saw the way the game was going, and knew the exact pathway to enable and evaluate his game. He had all the correct people around him, and he obviously had the hunger as well.
It is clear talking to Robbie that there is no sense of jealousy. He is proud of his friend’s achievements, and seeing Min conquer the world is a source of tremendous inspiration and motivation. But, at that time, in his Grandma’s house, suffering mentally, he must have been wondering what might have been.
It was a low. In his career, in his life. The next couple of years were a struggle on and off the course. His mind was elsewhere, and he was desperate to return to Australia. His success on the course was varied, and more sponsors came and went.
He describes 2022 as the year of the near misses. On the EuroPro tour, the now defunct feeder to the Challenge Tour, he finished one place outside of a spot in the Tour Championships. He narrowly missed out on Open qualifying, and missed the cut by one in the first stage of European Tour Q School.
A Mentality Shift
Robbie recognises that he has made mistakes in his career to date. He turns 30 next month. He’s not a hopeful junior anymore, but he still has the chance to get things right. As he says, if he didn’t believe he was good enough, he wouldn’t still be picking up the clubs. He hasn’t given up hope, and after a difficult few years, he is trying to reignite the fire inside him.
I’ve been working with Chris Kirkland from Unlock Better. We’ve noticed that I’ve gone from being this hungry guy, wanting to destroy people on the golf course, to being defensive. I map out my round and think, I need to birdie this one because I won’t birdie the next one, and then end up missing cuts by one. I kind of worked out that I optimise myself when I’m somewhere around second to fifth on the leaderboard. The times I’ve won events have always been from behind.
I wish I could give the answer to that, and it’s something Chris has been working on with me. Trying to find that switch on mechanism. I’ve been a bit too laid back over the years. I have that “it’ll happen when it happens” thing, but you have to make it happen, not just wait. I’ve realised, this is probably the last year I’ll really be able to put my heart and soul into it.
Of course, what Robbie also needs is sponsors. With the clock ticking before the season starts, there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to compete at all. He tells me it’s currently a case of asking 100 people and hoping that one or two say yes.
It’s all about trying to find the right people to come on board. Guys that understand the journey that I’ve been on, who understand what’s happened and believe in me. For them to come in and enjoy the ride together. You find that correct sponsor and the doors open that previously haven’t.
He finished last year a respectable 41st on the Order of Merit on the Tartan Pro Tour, and that’s where he plans to compete again in 2026. He already has one victory on the tour behind him, and he’ll be hoping to add to that in the near future. He would also like to compete on the Clutch Pro Tour, which is mostly based in England and is another entryway into the Challenge Tour.
The goal is to reach the top 250 in the world. He knows it won’t be easy. But it’s possible. And if he ever doubts himself, he shouldn’t lose sight of what an exceptional amateur he was. That player is still in there. He’s never left.
What advice would he give his younger self?
Go to the range, hit drivers as hard as I can, hit wedges from 140 yards and practise 8 and 12 footers!
He has an uncanny and charming ability to laugh at himself. But I suspect there are a few regrets, a few pearls of wisdom he would love to be able to go back and give himself with the experience he has gained. Then again, what would be the point? What has been and gone can no longer be controlled. You can only look forward. And that’s what Robbie is doing. Looking forward, to at least one more season of chasing his dream. It may well prove to be his final chance.
Thank you for reading. You can find Robbie on Instagram @robbiegolf1 and us @tales_fromtheclubhouse or on X @from_theclubhouse
Tales From the Clubhouse 