Hilton Head, SC …

In winning last year’s RBC Heritage Branden Grace was making a point that the South African wants to be seen as a worldwide player.

Grace may have been a stranger to his USA fans but the then 26-year old had won ten times around the globe before winning at Hilton Head.

He had tasted success five times on his home Sunshine Tour and on six occasions on the European Tour including successfully defending his Commercial Bank Qatar Masters crown in the months before travelling to South Carolina.

Grace also had began making big sounds in the Majors finishing 4th in the 2015 US Open and third a few months later in the PGA Championship so those in know should not have been surprised when Grace was fitted with the traditional RBC Heritage plaid winners jacket.

Branden Grace looking to continue to making his mark on the world stage. … www.golfbytourmiss.com

And when asked by www.golfbytourmiss.com what winning last years RBC Heritage did for his career Grace said.

“Well, I’ve had some close calls, yeah. Especially in the majors. And you start thinking, is it easier winning a major than winning a normal event, especially when you’re playing well in the majors,” he said.

“But, you know, it was nice to get over that thing. Playing Europe, the field is still tough. The courses are tough. So you really have to be on top of your game wherever you win these days.

“So I wanted to make a point of being a worldwide winner. I won in South Africa, and you have to step over that hurdle again to try to get yourself winning outside of South Africa. And being on the PGA Tour was really a goal of mine to get a victory here in the States. And then competing. I’ve been a very steady player.

“This year has been on and off a little bit. But I feel it’s coming around. So it would be great to get another one under your belt.”

The only concern if any for Grace in successfully defending his title this week is a nagging inflammation on top of his right wrist and near his right hand.

“The wrist has been troubling me for a while now and I do need to get it drained again as I am feeling some pain in the morning,” he said.

“It means that I am a little bit uncertain now about my schedule as what I had planned was to head up to contest the US Open and then heading home for a month before The Open.

“In the past, I use to play the Scottish Open where I used to always play well but then I also did not play that well in The Open so I feel as though this year I will skip the Scottish and go straight into The Open.”

Grace indicated he has endured the concern for some years now and with doctors injecting him with a needle and drawing out the fluid.

And he was asked by www.golfbytourmiss.com if the concern affects his game.

“It is like anything, if you hit the ball well it doesn’t hurt but if you hit a shot poorly it’s painful,” he said.

“So, hopefully it all goes well this week.”