Conor Purcell feels mentally ready to battle again and produce some of his best golf as he looks for an immediate return to the DP World Tour.
Purcell won twice on the HotelPlanner Tour in 2024 to graduate in fine style but after making just 11 of 25 cuts in a bruising rookie DP World Tour campaign to finish 150th on the Race to Dubai, he is back on the second-tier.
It’s been a slow yet steady start to life back on the HotelPlanner Tour for the 28-year-old who has made two of his three cuts so far to rank 44th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings but he feels he can get back into the winners circle and clinch one of the 15 DP World Tour cards.
“The game has been feeling good,” Purcell said ahead of the Jonsson Workwear Durban Open. “I feel like I’m getting back into the swing of things now, and hopefully we can post a good week out here.
“Last year, on the DP World Tour, didn’t go to plan. I didn’t play great and didn’t feel like I had any sort of game with me.
“I’ve got my head in a good spot again and looking to get myself in the top 15 again this year. A win or two would be nice, too.
I’ve seen some positive signs in the first few weeks, where I haven’t been great but still managed to get it around and shoot a score. It’s a results business, and the score is all that matters.”
Purcell admits that his DP World Tour adventure was tough. He was often the lone Irishman in the field while he also battled a niggling injury in the second half of the season which ultimately hindered his Q-School bid. But he believes it was a character building experience.
“In golf, any experience, good or bad, is going to have a good impression on you,” said the Portmarnock man who hopes a return to familiarity this year will benefit him.
“The hard times when you’re going through them, you learn loads about yourself and your game. I feel like I’m coming back stronger than before.
“I don’t think there’s a massive difference [on the DP World Tour] in standard, but there’s a lot of change, new places and new courses. For me, I find that hard. It’s a lot to get used to, and it can be hard to focus on the golf.
“I felt like I was chasing for the second half of the year, a little bit flustered and not having the results I wanted.
“My game wasn’t that far away, I just wasn’t performing the way I could, and the game didn’t show up when I needed it.”
Purcell is in Durban alongside Tuesday qualifier Liam Grehan, Liam Nolan Gary Hurley and Max Kennedy who is sixth in the standings after a runner-up finish last week.
Leave a comment