Jimmy Walker is excited to be making the most of his opportunities around the globe on the DP World Tour as he prepares to tee it up at this week's Ras Al Khaimah Championship.
The 2016 US PGA Championship winner has played the vast bulk of his career in the United States and this week is just his sixth start in a regular DP World Tour event.
His top ten at last season's Amgen Irish Open was his first regular start for seven years but the followed it with a top 15 at the acciona Open de España presented by Madrid before getting his first taste of golf in the UAE in the Rolex Series at last week's Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
His intention is to continue spreading his wings and the 46-year-old is thoroughly enjoying a new globetrotting chapter in his career.
“I'm looking forward to this year,” he said. “I've already been to places that I've never been to and looking forward to going to Singapore in about a month's time and hopefully get back over here.
“The plan is to go play a lot more in Europe and visit more countries and places that I've never been and experience new things and for me that's pretty fun. I enjoy food and culture and moving around and seeing what new places are like, so I'm excited for the opportunity and thank you to the DP World Tour for letting me come over and play.
“Last week wasn’t my best but I stuck with it. Last summer, I think it was September, I got to come over and play and I've been working really hard on my game and it was nice that it showed.
“Going and playing the Irish Open at Royal County Down, I knew that was going to be a true test and to go play well was amazing and I haven't played that well in a while. So to go over and play well there and play well in Madrid a couple of weeks later was very rewarding.”
Walker had the world at his feet when he lifted the Wanamaker Trophy for a sixth PGA TOUR win in three years but in 2017 he was struck down with Lyme disease and has since fallen to 451st in the Official World Golf Ranking.
And while he admits there are parts of his game that he has “lost” in recent years, he is encouraged to see them coming back as he aims to continue taking on the young guns.
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“Chipping and putting feels very solid, which is what I’ve been struggling with the last three to four years after Lyme disease,” he said.
“It was just things that I felt like just I kind of lost, so I worked real hard over the summer on getting back in shape on that and working on new ways of doing things.
“The old ways weren't working, so you know when something's not working, you've got to figure something out. So that's what I felt like I was doing and it feels good now.
“I've just turned 46. A lot of young guys out here, guys are hitting it really far now and I just have to keep it within my lane and do what I know I can do. Know my limitations, know my strengths, and just go from there.
“Putting two rounds together has been the hard part. So that's the concentration and that's what I'm keeping an eye on as we move forward with the year.”
