Turning to a hypnotherapist to get himself out of the “doldrums” proved a masterstroke for Cam Davis, who secured his second PGA Tour title in dramatic circumstances, watching from the driving range as Akshay Bhatia missed a short 18th-hole putt that would have forced a playoff in Detroit.
Davis, 29, hadn’t finished inside the top 40 in his past five events, missing two cuts including at the US Open, who recovered from missing the green at the final hole to make a par that proved crucial in his one-shot win which netted him a $2.5m payday.
Both of Davis’ PGA Tour wins have come at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, having recorded his maiden win at the event in 2021, and he’s set to jump 30 places in the rankings to a career-high 38.
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Emotional in the immediate aftermath, Davis said he was a “different person” to the one who had been playing poorly in recent weeks as he lapped up his second win on tour.
“From where I was a couple of weeks ago until today, I’m just a completely different person,” he said after finishing at 18-under.
“I’m a little emotional. I wouldn’t wish what happened to Akshay on anyone, but I’ve done a lot of grinding to get myself out of a hole and to just all of a sudden do that, it feels pretty good.”
Davis credits his work with a hypnotherapist for arresting his slide on the PGA Tour, where he hadn’t had a top-10 finish since October last year.
The Sydneysider explained that his wife had long encouraged him to see one, although he had been resistant until recently.
Davis rolls into water off the green! | 00:52
“I started working with a hypnotherapist a few weeks ago to take another angle and try and get myself sorted out and Grace has done an awesome job,” he said.
“I honestly haven’t been in a very good place mentally at all for the last six months or so. I felt like all the opportunities have been slipping out of my hands as the year progresses without playing very good golf.
“I felt like a change of direction was definitely needed, something that I was actually going to stick to because I’m definitely someone that will start doing something and if it doesn’t feel like it’s helping straight away, it’s very easy to drop it.
“Sticking with the work that I’m doing with Grace has made a very big impact very quickly … I had a lot of support to get me out of the doldrums.”
Davis won with a score of 18-under, beating Bhatia by one shot after the American’s implosion on the 18th green.
Source Agencies
