Former Walker Cup star Jack Senior believes he has grown as a player and a man after a difficult start to his Challenge Tour career, and thinks he is capable of a victory this year after carding an impressive opening round of 68 at the Swiss Challenge presented by Association Suisse de Golf.
The Englishman, who holed a 30-foot putt to win the Walker Cup for Great Britain and Ireland at Royal Aberdeen in 2011, turned professional soon after that triumph and in 2012 earned a top five finish at the lucrative Kazakhstan Open on the Challenge Tour.
Last year, however, Senior struggled with life on tour and made just five cuts in 18 events, his best finish tied 26th at the Norwegian Challenge.
He has emerged from that season a much better player and a much more confident prospect and two wins on the satellite EuroPro Tour this year have provided glimpses of the class which took him into the top ten of the Official World Amateur Rankings.
Senior thinks last season’s problems were a blessing in disguise, as he chases a maiden title this week at Golf Sempachersee.
“I came out with a much more positive attitude this year and learned a lot from last year,” he said. “I think it takes a year to learn out here and see what it’s all about and last year’s poor experiences have really helped me this year.
“Mentally, I was getting down on myself and beating myself up. I had a really poor run of missed cuts and I was in a rut. It’s difficult to enjoy it when you’re not playing great, it’s hard to take.
“I started working with a psychologist and he gave me some really good tips on what I needed to do and how I needed to get my mind in a better place. I worked hard with my coach during the winter as well and that’s really helped me too.
“I think the thing is there are sometimes guys who have been around the scene for a few years that do well, because I think it helps knowing the golf courses. I came to this golf course last year and you know what to expect when you get there and that’s a big thing.
“It’s a different lifestyle but I think you start to fit in and people start to know you and that helps too, having peers there to go out for dinner with. Maybe last year it wasn’t quite this same but this year it certainly is.
“I'm really positive about this season. Obviously the two wins earlier in the year have helped me. Last year was the kick up the backside I needed. I didn’t think it would be easy coming out here but it’s a reality check.
“You have to think, ‘this is where I am and this is what I need to do’. There are guys out here working hard and you have to put in more time and effort and that’s what I've done over the winter so I'm starting to reap the rewards now.
“Obviously there’s big confidence there now from the two wins on the EuroPro Tour. If you’re out here week in and week out and not playing great it can really grind you down.”
“I played solid today,” he continued after his four under par opening round in Lucerne. “I continued my form from Scotland, which is good. I was a bit under the weather in Germany but I feel a lot fresher now after a week off.”
“Obviously I'm looking to win and I have a couple of wins under my belt. I've got across the line in professional events before s I can’t see why I couldn’t do it at this level.”
