ILL WILLETT
Ex-Masters champ Danny: I’m pain-free for first time in five years
AFTER a turbulent two years since his Masters triumph, the 2016 champion has one target – getting back to playing “Danny Willett golf”.
The Yorkshireman’s first Major title was followed by injuries, a nightmare Ryder Cup and a split from his caddie, coach and management company. Twelve months ago he became the first defending champion since Mike Weir in 2004 to miss the Augusta cut.
Willett shut down his season last October and was at home for the arrival of his second son Noah. Now, after remodelling his swing to take the strain off his back, he is seeking a rebirth of his own.
“I am finally playing painfree,” said the former amateur world No.1 (above). “At Valderrama last year, I had strapping on my knee, strapping on my back and strapping on my shoulder.
“You fast-forward it 24 weeks and I haven’t had a pain-killer for 10 weeks now. Before that, there wasn’t a day that went by without one for five years.
“Obviously, we have had to change a few things with the injuries and it is a different time in our lives. The best is better than what it was before.
“We want to take the best bits of what we had before and keep using them, and then change a few of the bits that have been letting us down. Hopefully, it is a new and improved version.
“I want to get back to playing ‘Danny Willett Golf’ and get back to being me and then everything else will take care of itself.”
Willett, who was the last player to arrive in 2016 after the arrival of first son Zach, now looks back to the time after his Masters triumph as “very strange” (Jordan Spieth presents him with the green jacket, above).
The 30-year-old explained: “I just had no time off. I was scheduled to have a month off after that with the little one and Nic, and that turned into being ridiculously busy.
“As a first-time Major winner, I was like a rabbit in headlights. We started to play too much and the body just broke down and, mentally, you start to question everything you are doing.”
New coach Sean Foley, who worked with Tiger Woods, talks about more than just golf. “He’s also an incredibly upbeat, positive man, which I think I needed at that time,” Willett added. “He knows what he is doing but he also realises it has been a pretty tough time.
“But if you put it into perspective, yes I have had a bad 18 months on the golf course, but I have still got everything going for me.
“I am still a young lad and have a long time left to play golf. Nobody knows what is in the script for the next 20 years.
“You have to keep working hard and try to write a few good things in there yourself.”