Bowditch looks for repeat Texas success

Steven Bowditch hopes he can repeat his slump busting efforts from a year ago when he won in Texas.

Australian golfer Steven Bowditch

Steven Bowditch hopes he can repeat his slump busting efforts from a year ago when he won in Texas. (AAP)

Steven Bowditch is hoping a return to a happy hunting ground so he can kick start his season, just as it did a year ago.

The Queenslander enters his title defence at TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas just as he did in 2015 ... completely out of form.

But as he has proven time and time again in his career, a week is a long time in golf, and he feels he can once again surprise the field in Texas.

In his last seven events the 32-year-old has missed six cuts, only playing four rounds at the no-cut World Golf Championships Cadillac Championship where he finished a record 37-over after four rounds in the 80s.

He is 97-over in his last 16 rounds at a 77.8125 scoring average.

But this is nothing new. In 2015 he entered the event with eight missed cuts and a disqualification in the 13 leading in.

"I haven't been playing well. No big shock, I guess for me," an honest Bowditch said.

"I didn't have great form coming into it last year so, it's sort of the way my career has gone and hopefully I can turn it around."

Among others, he will have to take down local hero and world No.2 Jordan Spieth who is highly motivated after being crunched by Jason Day at the Players Championship, setting up a significant gap between the pair in the world rankings.

"It is a great field and it's going to be tough," Bowditch added.

"Obviously there's nothing in my current form that says I should do any good at all but hopefully I can bring back some of that and give the big boys, you know, the superstars maybe a little bit of a contest and get in there on Sunday."

Bowditch married his wife Amanda at the resort in 2011 and lives nearby, making it an extremely comfortable venue for the two-time tour winner.

"I got great vibes back here, again playing in front of friends and family, and it's nice to bring back some great memories," he said.

"Hopefully when I tee off on Thursday I can really get that confidence back just by the feeling and buzz I'll have on the first tee."

There are numerous excuses for Bowditch's form. From overdoing it last year as he strived to, and managed to, make the International team for the Presidents Cup.

And playing through wrist tendonitis and five root canal surgeries earlier this year in the effort to make the WGC Match Play.

But at the end of the day he is taking it all on his own shoulders.

"It's golf. Everyone is out here playing on injuries. It's not a big deal. It's not an excuse for the way I've been playing," he said.

"Just terrible form right now and lack of confidence. But I do feel like it's starting to come back around.

"I made a few changes in my golf swing and hopefully that starts showing up here this week."

Robert Allenby, Aaron Baddeley, John Senden, Stuart Appleby, Matt Jones, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith, Cameron Percy, Rhein Gibson, Rod Pampling, and Greg Chalmers make up an impressive 12-man Australian tilt.

The event has seen four Australian champions with Peter Thomson (1956), Adam Scott (2008), Day (2010) and Bowditch (2015) all winning in the past.


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Source: AAP


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