20th June 2017 | Big Easy Tour
Hammond confident after strong start at Waterkloof
Golf is a demanding sport mentally, and Daniel Hammond says he’s been putting some hard work into that area of his game.
Hammond shot seven-under-par 65 in the opening round of the Big Easy The Roar, co-sanctioned by the MENA Tour, on Tuesday at Waterkloof Golf Club, where he made only a single bogey, Hammond explained what his secret has been. “For me, personally, it’s more of a mental change,†he said. “I felt like I was being a bit despondent out there. So now, I’m just trying to see the glass as half full and stuff, instead of half empty. So, it’s just more of a mental change, to be honest.â€
It is still too early to tell who will win The Roar at Waterkloof, but a solid start is always going to give any golfer some relief going forward, and Hammond feels his game can stand the test. “I feel like it’s been coming,†he said, “and, I have been hitting the ball a lot better compared to previous years. I have been putting a lot better so I am feeling a lot more confident.â€
He will need that confidence during this last of the three events co-sanctioned with the MENA Tour as it will strengthen that positive perspective and might lead to even greater things. But he seems to have found the problem and sees a way forward. “What’s always been my downfall is ball-striking,†he revealed, “and, I feel like that’s been growing week-to-week. It’s just a case of making a couple putts now for me.â€
Coming from a solid 2016 season where he won the Modderfontein event of the Big Easy and made it into the top-20 four more times last year, Hammond knows what it takes to win and his way of seeing the game lately might just do the trick for him come Thursday.