Jeff Winther has revealed how he has struggled with the mental demands of travel and being away from his family on the DP World Tour this season.
The Dane showed encouraging signs of form in March when he finished tied 11th and then ninth over back-to-back weeks in Singapore and India respectively.
However, he arrived at this week’s BMW International Open with four missed cuts in his last five starts, a loss of form that has seen him drop outside of the top 200 on the Official World Golf Ranking.
Winther, who won his maiden DP World Tour title on Mallorca in 2022, opted to miss last week’s event in Italy and has his family out with him for support over the next two weeks.
After a three-under-par 69, the 36-year-old backed it up with a 68 on Friday to ensure he comfortably made it through to the weekend at Golfclub München Eichenried.
“I’m just happy that I’m hitting the ball in the middle again, it’s been a while,” he said in a honest post-round interview.
“It feels like it’s been a while since I hit a proper golf shot. It’s starting to come together now.
"I’ve got the family with me to support me, so everything’s good.”
Winther enjoyed five top tens last season, including a tie for ninth at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Sometimes you just need to take some time off so I took last week off, decided to take the family out this week and next week and that gave me a bit of happiness again.
A popular character, he has struggled so far this year and finds himself 91st on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
He added: “I think I just find golf boring quite a lot, not feeling great on the course, not feeling great travelling, away from the family.
“Sometimes you just need to take some time off so I took last week off, decided to take the family out this week and next week and that gave me a bit of happiness again.
“Talking to the elderly on this Tour helps a little bit as well, so hopefully it continues in the swing and hitting the ball right.”
Ewen Ferguson of Scotland held the clubhouse lead in Munich at 13 under on day two after an impressive eight under 64, with Winther six shots further back.
“I’m not expecting a great week, so it would be fantastic,” he said of what it would mean to force his way into title contention over the weekend.
“I’ve not played very well for a long time, it feels like, and the swing’s been gone. I would be very happy to have a good week this week.”
