Todd Clements ready to turn the corner ahead of Czech defence

Defending champion Todd Clements believes that "good golf is around the corner" as he looks to kickstart his season at the D+D REAL Czech Masters.

The Englishman carded a stunning closing 63 to claim his first DP World Tour title 12 months ago but arrives at new venue PGA National OAKS Prague feeling that his golf in 2024 has been "mediocre".

He has not recorded a top ten since his victory at this event and has played the weekend just four times in six months, although he did record four rounds in the 60s en route to a top-35 last time out at the Barracuda Championship.

And the 27-year-old is keeping everything in perspective as he looks to move up from 123rd on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.

"I've not quite got the results I was looking for, especially after last year," he said. "But there's still a lot of golf left to be played and I know that good golf is around the corner.

"I'll just keep trying to do the same things, just keep getting a little bit better year in, year out, I know that I'll end up where I want to be.

"It doesn't really matter for me, especially this year and next year. Every week I'll just try and be the best that I can be and I'm looking forward to the Back 9."

Clements started the final round last year three shots back but made hat-tricks of birdies from the first and sixth to turn in 30 before rattling off another three in a row from the 11th.

He then faced an agonising wait as the final four groups finished their rounds, with Matt Wallace missing a nine-footer on the last that would have taken it to a play-off.

Clements' win ensured him a Rolex Series debut on home soil at the BMW PGA Championship and the 2022 European Challenge Tour graduate aims to continue making the most of the opportunities afforded to him.

"I'm delighted to come back and have some great memories from last year," he said. "It's a new course that I have to scope out but I'm delighted to be back and ready to go again.

"It was an interesting week. Coming into Sunday I knew I had to have a really fast start... I didn't take my chances coming in on Saturday and thought I was a bit too far back with how low-scoring it was.

"Fortunately I had a pretty special front nine and kept it going into the back nine and the emotions and feelings coming down 15 and 16 are something I'll never forget.

"I knew that the leaders were six or seven holes back so that kind of kept my foot on the pedal and kept me in the moment as such. I knew on 15 and 16 that I was right in it and I was delighted with how it ended up.

"The exemptions and the tournaments I could get into, I wasn't into Wentworth last year and that was a special moment for me - the flagship event in my home country, that was amazing.

"The way it has led me into this year, playing the bigger tournaments and planning my schedule made it much easier."