Golf

Defending champion Jimmy Walker in unfamiliar territory

US Ryder Cup player defending a title for the first time at the Frys.com Open in Napa, California

After a brilliant breakthrough year Jimmy Walker admits he finds himself in uncharted territory as a new season gets under way. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
After a brilliant breakthrough year Jimmy Walker admits he finds himself in uncharted territory as a new season gets under way. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Wed Oct 08 2014 - 16:31

After a brilliant breakthrough year Jimmy Walker admits he finds himself in uncharted territory as a new season gets under way.

The PGA Tour's "wraparound" 2014-15 schedule begins this week with the Frys.com Open at Silverado Resort in Napa, California — a title Walker will defend after his first victory on tour in his 188th start last year.

That win sparked two others in quick succession, the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Hawaii and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February, which virtually guaranteed his place on the United States’ Ryder Cup team.

While that experience at Gleneagles last month ended disappointingly, the 35-year-old has picked himself up and is ready to go again, although being the man to be shot at is a new situation he finds himself in.

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"I've never been in a position on the PGA Tour to defend," he said. "I don't think I've been in position to defend anywhere.

“It’s nice to be in Napa. If you can’t enjoy this place, you need to get out of here.

“It’s always nice to start quickly and play well. I couldn’t have scripted it any better the first couple months of the season and it would be nice to do that again, obviously.

“I feel like I’ve got a good formula going but I’m always continuing to try to get better, and looking at the stats for last year, where can I improve, what can we do, as far as that goes.”

While Walker is looking to maintain his form into a new year, Australian Jarrod Lyle is just looking to get his career back on track again.

The 32-year-old returns to the tour after beating leukaemia for the second time and it was his determination which got him in to this event after failing to earn a sponsor’s exemption.

Lyle’s last appearance on the PGA Tour came in 2012, although he played four Web.com Tour events in 2014, and he has 20 starts to earn $283,825 (€223,800) to extend his medical exemption for the rest of the season

He already has a sponsor’s exemption for next week’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open but he was expecting one to arrive this week.

When it did not he travelled to California, shot a six-under 66 in Monday’s qualifying and then survived an eight-man play-off for four spots to get in.