PALM HARBOR, FLA. – Tyrone van Aswegen believes his mental strength and commitment to success will translate into his first PGA Tour win.
Van Aswegen, an Oklahoma City University graduate and 2002 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men’s Golf national champion, has made six cuts this season and finished tied for seventh in the 2016 CIMB Classic in October with a 15-under 273 total, his third top-10 finish on the tour.
The 35-year-old has always had the desire to win. Now he feels more confident as well.
“The first goal is to keep your [Tour card] for the next year,” van Aswegen said before teeing off on 17th hole Tuesday during his practice round on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook. “But I really want to win a tournament.
“I think my game has improved, I’ve improved mentally and I think I’m getting close to maybe having a win this season.”
The Johannesburg, South Africa native, who now lives in Dallas, is ranked No. 93 in the FedEx Cup standings.
He intends on sticking to the fundamentals in the 2017 Valspar Championship.
“I’m just kind of ironing out a few things on the range and getting more comfortable from my tee shots,” he said. “And then just chipping and putting because you’re not always going to hit every green, so you’ve got to be able to get up and down – or chip one or two in.”
While he understands that even the best golfers in the world can’t always perform at an optimal level, van Aswegen believes that bringing a consistent approach to each tournament will lead to better results and perhaps his first PGA Tour victory.
“If you feel like you’re improving every week, and certain shots are getting better, or you’re putting really well and not getting anything out of it,” van Aswegen said. “eventually it’s going to all come together and you’re going to have a good week.”
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