Australian Jordan Zunic won't be overawed in his World Golf Championships debut as he says it's not life and death - and he should know.
The 24-year-old from Wollongong was minutes from death after losing 40 per cent of his blood in a car crash in Arkansas two years ago when he was a promising amateur.
Now Zunic will experience easily the biggest moment of his golf career on Thursday when he tees it up amongst the likes of Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day in the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Trump National in Florida.
His quest for golf glory was put on the backburner after he suffered head trauma and picked up three fractures in his elbow in the crash in August, 2013, in the lead up to the US Amateur.
His journey since has been remarkable.
Just 12 months ago, after a long rehabilitation, and a decision to turn pro despite having no status on any tour, Zunic qualified for the New Zealand PGA Championship.
He wrangled his way into a top-10 finish there to earn a start in the following week's New Zealand Open where he entered ranked 1547th in the world and won the title.
A top-10 finish at the Australian PGA Championship last December was enough to finish second on the Australasian Order of Merit, earning him a ticket to Miami to match it with the world's best this week.
"After the crash all I wanted to do was get back and play again. I didn't know if I would be able to and when I did it just felt like the pressure was off, I knew I was lucky to be alive and I was just so grateful to be playing the game I love," Zunic said.
"You realise how fragile life can be and you have to enjoy what you're doing.
"Golf is just a game and it is not life and death and sometimes you can forget that and put too much pressure on yourself and not enjoy it.
"The key to playing my best is to keep the enjoyment level up. Work hard but don't put too much pressure on."
Zunic is joining world No.2 Day for a practice round on tournament eve as he looks to sponge as much information as possible.
While a win might be highly unlikely, it would catapult him onto the US PGA Tour for three and a half years and thrust him into the Masters among many perks.
A win also brings $US1.62 million ($A2.26 million) prizemoney and, at worst, last place will collect a tidy $US48,000. ($A66,860).
A decent result could also see a number of sponsor invites to regular tour events come his way.
"I am really going to enjoy measuring myself against the best players in the world because obviously I am striving towards being one of the best players in the world," world No.530 Zunic said.
"I know this week can open a lot more doors. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I am definitely excited."
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