Scotland & # 039; s Locke says the first pro win & # 039; monkey off back & # 039;

Sam Locke was topamateur at the 2018 Open in Carnoustie

Sam Locke hopes that his first tournament win since becoming a pro "will have the monkey off my back" because 21-year-old Scot is fighting to deliver on his 2018 Open Silver Medal promise.

He made a whirlwind his second season as a professional, albeit in the lower regions of the professional competition. the Portugal Pro Tour, he won the Palmares Open this week.

"I knew it would come in the end, I just had to be patient," he said.

"I think I will win at every level you have to learn to win. It is not easy, so it is really important to do that and hopefully I can continue to work hard and continue to strive for more. "

Winning by four strokes of the Englishman Ryan Evans on the local tour of Portugal, is far removed from the burst of publicity that surrounded Locke at the closing of top ama at the Open Championship in Carnoustie and when he the paid grades came in.

He won a first stage event in last season's European Tour Qualifying School, but last season's third-rank PGA EuroPro Tour failed to make the season-dependent Tour Championship in Spain.

But Locke is happy to bear the burden of expectation that accompanied his Open success.

"Winning the silver medal is going to happen," he told BBC Scotland. "People will think & well, this guy did this, so he continues with this and that other & # 39 ;, which I feel I can still do.

" You know what people expect. But in the end I know where I want to go and in my opinion it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

"It is now up to me to keep working and learning and persevering and I believe it will come. It is just a matter of time. I am still young, sometimes I forget that and I think I it should do a little better, but I have now played very nice things and luckily I have the victory. "

Locke hopes to have a similar effect when he sets out later this month to participate in the Mena Tour, which covers the Middle East and North Africa, since he wants to promote to the second layer of Europe.

"You strive to be the best player in the world," he added. "There is no reason why that can't happen, but I'm just concentrating now on what lies ahead, the upcoming tournaments.

" I definitely want a Challenge Tour card by the end of this year , so that's my goal. Fortunately I have the victory at the start, which is good for my confidence. "