HITTING practice balls with Adam Scott and inspiring words from PGA Tour winner Peter Lonard are timely motivators for Lincoln Tighe.
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In the biggest month of his flourishing career, Tighe will play Australia’s major tournaments, starting with the Masters on Thursday.
He then returns to America for the final stage of the web.com qualifying, a career stepping stone towards a US PGA Tour card.
As he treads the same fairways as some of the world’s best this week, Tighe has already shown an improved ability to hold his nerve under pressure. With only 21, plus ties, making it to next month’s final stage, Tighe produced birdies on the final two holes in Texas last week to be -8, tied for 19th, securing his place.
“It was good for the confidence to make the score under deep pressure,” Tighe told the Mercury after a practice round at Masters venue Huntingdale.
“I knew I was on right on the edge, but I finished and had a nervous waiting game for a couple of hours to see if I’d make it through.
“Everything is going well at the moment, I’m getting a lot more comfortable about performing in the bigger tournaments.”
Tighe shook off the jetlag with nine holes after landing in Melbourne on Monday, before a practice round on Tuesday with four-time European tour winner Stephen Leaney.
The Port Kembla product also spent time on the practice fairway next to Scott, as well as a chance encounter with Lonard, who won a PGA Tour event in 2005.
“It was amazing to hear Peter say he had been watching me (play in the US),” Tighe said.
“He’s a guy who made a career in the US and played at all the majors, so it was just good to be able to chat to him and listen to his experience.
“When I was hitting balls next to Adam Scott, it kind of reminds you how great it is to be back playing the big tournaments at home.”
Under new coach Gary Barter, Tighe has worked on his mental approach, the key to handling the stress of cut-throat qualifying rounds and big Australian tournaments alike.
“I’ve been a lot more consistent,” he said.
“I’ve been working with a sports psychologist as well and it’s certainly paying off.”
Off the tee at 11.45am with Ryan Lynch and Anthony Brown on Thursday, Tighe wants to continue the momentum in Australia and back to the US.
“It would be unreal,” he said about the prospect of a web.com card next year. “One of my dreams is to play on the major tours. Web.com is a stepping stone to the PGA tour, but it’s a big step to be full-time over there.”
