EXCLUSIVE by Suzanne Kemper at Wentworth.

I was delighted to catch up with Brett Rumford after his opening round at Wentworth for the 2013 BMW PGA Championship and with him competing in Europe for a first time since his back-to-back victories in the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea and the Volvo China Open.

There have been a number of exciting new changes since late last year and it is all smiles for the affable Australian.

Firstly Rumford’s working with a new and legendary coach.

“I started working with Pete Cowen this year which is going really well,” he said. “There have been many new things I’ve implemented this year with him.”

Then there’s legendary Bournemouth-born caddy, John ‘Ronnie’ Roberts who now has tastes success on seven occasions and on five different tours.

Brett Rumford and ‘Ronnie’ surrounded by Volvo China Open volunteers.

“Ronnie, my caddy, came on board late last year so he’s another new team member, and we have had good starts and changes, plus new inputs,” said Rumford.

Then there’s a new trainer.

“Kevin Duffey, my trainer came on board from late last year, and he’s from the Midlands in England,” said Rumford.

“We met up at the Irish Open last year and I like his ideas.  I got chatting to him, and his philosophy on physiology with the golf swing, I liked it. We went from there. Everything started to sync.

“It’s a strange game. You can be doing the right things but not win, so I am trying to keep it as simplistic, as possible, which is great, but not that easy.

“It seems easy like driving the ball straight, chipping, short game but when you are playing it works well. I did all those things through the Ballantine’s & China and I did a lot of good things off the golf course which helped too. I kept my short game tidy.

“Winning is easy or seems easier when you are playing well, that’s not to say, it’s easy.

“To be playing well, scoring well and in the lead is easier but it’s hardest in tournaments and rounds when you aren’t playing well and are 40th or so.  Putts just don’t seem to drop and you struggle. Battling to make cuts. You are pulling your hair out.

“When you are in the thick of it, you get the adrenalin, and the putts start dropping.  It’s demanding mentally too.

“It can be a Catch 22 what with high stress, mentally demanding, and that’s when golf is at its hardest when you are struggling to make cuts.

“Playing back to back after a win, this was the first time I have played back to back after winning.  But thinking about it, when you take 2-3 weeks off, you sort of lose the feel, lose the touch that you had with the win and the mind set you were in too.

“That’s why it is important as it takes a lot out of you, your system the win and the high.

“For me it was getting the hydration back, getting your system ready, energy back is what I did.  You are running on a higher frequency, your diet, nutrition- that’s what I did and it is key – did that on the Monday, Tuesday.

“I also liked the course in China so that was key.  I didn’t hit too many balls or too much practice, just rested up.

“It all got going until Saturday in China when I sort of hit a wall, but then I hung in there.  Kevin has really been key too in this.”

Rumford admires Ballantine’s Championship trophy

So what made the difference?

“A bit of everything,” said Rumford.

“Not just putting, driving or mind set. It’s like everything, same for the No 1 in the world. It’s a collective thing.  It’s a mind set as well. You need to work yourself into it, play into it too.

“So I can really put it down to one thing. It is a collective mind set. But also it is the week’s before such as the preparation, the mind set all coming together, and the motivation.”

Rumford declared the motivator to be a combination of motivators.

“It’s no different to Tiger Woods, or the guys performing well later in the year when they are sitting on the bubble trying to make their Tour card,” said Rumford.

“All of a sudden they start to play well, and it is a mind set. It’s motivation-it’s key. Look at Tiger, the best player in the world, and he’s got Jack’s (Nicklaus) record he’s chasing and trying to beat; he just seems to have an endless thirst.

“Plus Tiger has such intensity and desire. That’s what is key and a motivator. We all have different motivators and thirst.”

Rumford began laughing when asked if it is his thirst that’s his motivator.

“I’ve got twin girls and that’s my motivator,” he smiles.

“For any parent it’s a motivator because really it’s going to get very expensive! School fees, and all the rest, ooh! That gives any man a great motivation!

“Also, mine was just to get back performing well again and to get in the thick of it the last nine holes!  As my two tournament wins suggest, there are many different ways you can win and lots of scenarios down the stretch.

“Its important getting yourself in position down the stretch and then perform.

“My key now is to keep performing.  Be well motivated in weeks off, and work hard on those weeks off plus keep my body in shape and motivation in focus.”

And there is the shortest club in the bag that can so often cause the biggest problems.

The Rummy and Ronnie Show and thanks also to Tour Miss.

Here Rumford singles out Fatiha, the renowned Tour Miss from www.golfbytourmiss.com

“I made changes there too switching to a center shafted putter, but it still has a bend in it, and goes into the center of the club,” he said.

“Then there was the input from Ronnie and also Fatiha early in the year as these changes helped.  By switching from face balance to center shaft I hit more solid putts.

“I have been working very hard on my pace, making sure every putt has a chance of going in, and definitely getting past the hole.

“Pace is really critical with a better roll off the face and a better line. The greens at the Ballantine’s and in China were very similar- pace and surface. That was great, to go from one week to the next wasn’t too much of a change, not too much of an adjustment.

“Definitely not like this week here at Wentworth with the greens so slopey, grainy, and very, very slow for Wentworth which has made reading putts very difficult.

“Everyone was struggling, plus this is a long golf course, and there aren’t very many holes out there where you can take a breather. Also with Ernie’s changes, every single hole you have to hit a good drive, you got to get the ball in play all the time, be on the correct side of the hole, and if you miss it, miss it where you want. A very tough course and mentally draining as well.”