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Australian Marc Leishman credits the confidence boost he received from winning his first US PGA Tour event last year with helping him share fourth at this year’s Masters.
Now the 29-year-old from Warrnambool will defend his title at the US$6.1 million Travelers Championship and take home the $1.08 million top prize when the tournament tees off on Thursday at TPC River Highlands.
Leishman, the 2009 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, fired a final-round 62 last year and waited as rival after rival failed to match him in the clubhouse over the final hours.
“The confidence that this tournament gave me last year, having the round I did on Sunday and not the immense pressure of maybe what some wins might have because I finished early, that definitely helped me for the Masters,” he said.
“It gave me a bit more confidence. That definitely gave me confidence to know I was good enough to win and to play good under the pump. My swing held up under pressure here and at the Masters I was in contention all week and it held up there.”
Leishman owned the 18-hole lead at Augusta National before finishing four shots behind winner Adam Scott, the first Australian to win the Masters. It was only the second Masters appearance for Leishman after missing the cut in 2010.
World number 62 Leishman, who shared eighth at the Players Championship last month and ninth at the Heritage and Sony Open in Hawaii this year, missed the cut at last week’s US Open. But this is his first US event as a defending champion.
“It is a little bit different,” Leishman said. “You’ve got people that look at you differently knowing that you did win last year. You’re probably expected to do a bit better than what I would normally be expected to do, just because of what I did last year.
“I played well on the course before. I really enjoyed the course. I’m expecting to do well. I’m really looking forward to getting out there, it will be a different feeling.”
Leishman will be grouped for the first two rounds with American Jason Dufner, who shared fourth at the US Open, and 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson, who won the 2010 Travelers title.
Another contender figures to be American Hunter Mahan, who shared fourth at the US Open last week, his career-best finish in a major, and who has a history of success at this event.
Mahan won his first pro title at the Travelers in 2007 and has also finished second twice. Last year he shared 11th and shot a career-low 61 at TPC River Highlands. He opens alongside compatriots Harris English and Rickie Fowler.
New US Open champion Justin Rose is entered as well. He will join Americans Zach Johnson and Keegan Bradley, both fellow major winners, for the first and second rounds.
