A trimmed down Steven Bowditch isn't home for the beers and BBQ, declaring he's in Melbourne to win the Australian Masters at Huntingdale this week.
A focus on fitness and diet helped the 32-year-old to shed 16 kilograms and produce easily his best year on the US PGA Tour.
It was also his most lucrative season, earning over $A4 million in 2015 - half his total career prizemoney.
Bowditch won again in Texas - his second US tour title - in May, was a captain's pick for the International team at the Presidents Cup, and won through to the 30-man field for the US tour's FedEx Cup playoffs finale where he tied 12th.
With the Australian Masters returning to its spiritual home at Huntingdale GC for the first time since 2008 and headlined by former world No.1 Adam Scott, Bowditch says he's determined to do well this week.
"I haven't really put enough emphasis on Australian golf for my career in the last three or four years," said Newcastle-born Bowditch.
"It's just sort of been, come back home, see my family, see my friends and then head back to the States.
"This year once I got to the Presidents Cup and once I got into the top 30 (FedEx Cup's Tour Championship), I've put a major emphasis on doing well this summer."
Bowditch said his performances this year have proven to him that he has what it takes to contend in every tournament, rather than just make up the numbers.
"I feel like I'm every week now starting to turn up and not just compete but go out there and have a chance on the back nine.
"In years past I've only felt that when I'm running on all cylinders and now I feel like I can not have my 'A' game but use other aspects of my game and compete."
Previously a big drinker and binge eater, Bowditch, who has also battled depression, said he had planned to dedicate the year to improving his fitness and health.
He hired a personal trainer and physio but his results on the scales as well as on the course meant he had to wind it back a little.
"I knew that I had to make a change if we were to further my career and move forward.
"We got down to where we thought, and we sort of had to change our plan a little bit.
"When my performances started to get better and better, we had to taper off a little bit and not drop as much weight just because your swing changes so much when you're dropping that amount of weight.
"So we're sort of slowly doing it right now and then we'll get back on it in the off-season."
South African great Ernie Els was a late withdrawal but the tournament boasts a strong local field headed by Scott, Bowditch, John Senden, Brett Rumford and Cameron Smith.
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