Having come back from Q School late last month after a busy end to the 2022 season, I thought I would take some time to reflect before penning my final Blog of what has been a pretty frustrating, and mostly disappointing year. With the way the Tour is organised, there is always a chance to recover with a good final Q School performance but, although I made the Final Stage again, a few loose shots saw me miss out on the final 2 days and will see my category slip for 2023.
I started the season with lots of confidence and felt like my game was in good shape. However, the competition level is always high and it can be a struggle to get the results you feel you are capable of when things don’t go your way. I felt that I didn’t really perform to my potential for the first half of the year on the Challenge Tour and, ironically, it was only when I got the opportunity to play a concerted run of DP World Tour events in the summer that I began to play the sort of golf I know I can. Even here, though, it seemed like the results didn’t quite match the performances, which was doubly frustrating as I played myself onto a few leaderboards in the early rounds – particularly at the Hero Open up in Scotland where I had probably my best round of the season, including 7 straight birdies. I really thought this was the start of a change of luck, but I wasn’t quite able to hold onto the momentum for the end of the Challenge Tour season and although I made it through to the Final Stage of Q School, returning to the Challenge Tour next year with a reduced playing category was definitely not what I was hoping for. However, that is golf and I am determined to come back better and stronger next year.
I’d like to sign off for the year with a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me again in 2022. From all of those on the Island who have sent messages or just followed the results, to the sponsors and benefactors who have helped to ensure that I could concentrate on just playing golf. I’d especially like to thank my equipment sponsors, Mizuno, and my headline commercial sponsor, Friends Provident International. Once again, it has been a privilege to wear their logos throughout the year – both for FPI and their sister company, RL360. Despite the disappointing year and reduced playing category, I am hugely grateful to them for sticking with me for 2023 as I look to rebound from this year’s disappointments and play myself back onto the DP World Tour where I believe I belong.
A very Merry Christmas to everyone on the Island – and beyond – and best wishes for a successful and prosperous 2023.