Geoff Ogilvy believes he has learnt from last year, when he started the season in a blaze of glory before going missing during the business part of the golf season.
After successfully defending his title at the $US5.6 million ($A6.03 million) SBS Championship on Sunday, Australia's best player vowed he would hit far fewer balls this year.
Sometimes, it seems, less is more at the highest level.
"I think I forced it too much (last year)," Ogilvy said after shooting a final round six-under-par 67 to storm home and seal a one-stroke victory over fast-finishing Rory Sabbatini at Kapalua.
Ogilvy won not only here last year but also at the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship in February.
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In the majors, however, he was a bust, apart from a respectable tie for 15th at the Masters.
"I played so well here last year, and I played really well in the Match Play, played great at Houston (and) played alright at the Masters," he continued.
"After that I think it goes awry. Before you know it, it's the middle of the year and I am still struggling for two months, and I hit more balls and I chased it too hard as opposed to letting it come back. I wasn't happy with the way I was playing until after the Presidents Cup (in October).”
"I had a moment of clarity when I played (Steve) Stricker in singles, (thinking) what are you trying so hard for? It's a ball and there is a hole. Just hit it that way."
Ogilvy, 32, vows to take a break this year if his game starts going south. In his opinion, a cycling or surfing holiday is more likely to fix his game than grinding on the range.
"I think I'm a slow learner, but a pretty good learner. I think it's taking me a long time to work stuff out that I probably should have worked out earlier, but at least I'm working it out."
Blessing in disguise
Coach Dale Lynch believes last year's lean streak may even prove a blessing in disguise.
"Like all really good players, he learnt a lot about himself that will be good for him in the long run," Lynch said by telephone from his home in freezing South Carolina.
"There were some things he needed to address (technically) but it was never that far away. He's been striking the ball quite nicely since (October). I was confident he'd do well this week."
Ogilvy clinched the fifth victory by an Australian in seven years at Kapalua, following Stuart Appleby's hat-trick from 2004-06.
Ogilvy thinks the course, while hillier than most in Australia, is similar in that it is not target golf. Players often must aim their approach shots away from the flags and rely on the slopes to carry the ball towards the hole.
But most of all he thinks that what he and Appleby have in common is a deft touch with pitch shots from 30-to-80-metres.
"You have that shot a lot here," continued the 2006 US Open champion.
"That shot is really important because a lot of your birdies come from up-and-downs between 30 and 80 (metres).”
"If that's going well, you're going to do well around here and Stuart's always been really good at that stuff."
Seventh victory
Ogilvy finished at 22-under 270, and is a cumulative 46-under over his past eight rounds here in the season opener on the US PGA Tour, an elite event restricted to winners on tour the previous season.
Ogilvy, 32, collected $1.12 million for his seventh victory on the US Tour, but his 2010 season will be largely defined by how he performs in the majors.
"He often plays well on courses he likes and not well on courses he doesn't and this year he likes the major venues," said Lynch, referring specifically to the US Open at Pebble Beach and the British Open at St Andrews.
Added Ogilvy: "This (year) is the crown jewel of majors."
