Elvis Smylie may have taken his career to new heights in recent weeks but the home favourite is not resting on his laurels ahead of this week's ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
Just six weeks ago, the 22-year-old did not have a professional win to his name but he now arrives in Melbourne with two and a DP World Tour card thanks to his victory at the BMW Australian PGA Championship.
It has been a rapid rise for a man who did not get through the First Stage of Qualifying School in September but he knows he cannot take his foot off the pedal now.
"It means everything to be able to take up membership to compete on the DP World Tour," he said.
"Plans have definitely changed since the start of last week, I’m excited to get going over in Europe and it will all start next week at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa.
"I'm going to be trying to play as many the best as I can on the DP World Tour before the end of Christmas and then I'll get ready for the Middle East in January and one thing will lead to another.
"I've briefly had a look at the schedule but I haven't gone too deep. But somewhere that I've always wanted to play is Wentworth over in the UK. I quite like the classiness of that course, it’s the home of the DP World Tour. I just love watching that tournament on TV. So those kind of events are the events that I'm really looking forward to playing next year.
"But I'm still really interested and really eager to play here in Australia and try and top the Order of Merit here."
He added: "I think the biggest thing that I've spoken to, especially with the team that I have around me, is not to get too complacent with what I've achieved so far.
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"Obviously, it's been a dream start to the Australian season for me but there's more that I want achieve this year and my team have done a really good job with easing the reins a little bit and focusing on what needs to be focused on.
"And that's this week for me and making sure that I'm doing all the stuff that I need to do by the time I tee up on Thursday."
Smylie beat out competition from illustrious playing partners Cam Smith and Marc Leishman to lift the trophy on Sunday, completing a full circle moment with the 2022 Open Champion.
In 2019, the Queensland native received the Cameron Smith Scholarship in the same year he won the Australian Boys' Amateur Championship, and he revealed that experience helped shape the golfer he has become.
"Spending a week with Cam and seeing what life was like playing on the biggest stage in golf and just seeing what life was like going about his business on a day-to-day basis, it's something that is invaluable and that kind of experience was great to see firsthand because not many people get that opportunity," he said.
