Rookie Danny Walker reveals how a last-minute putter change and a mindset shift are helping him fight for his PGA TOUR card. Honest words about pressure, missed cuts, and learning to trust the process.
Danny Walker, PGA Tour rookie, putting, Sanderson Farms Championship, golf interview, new putter, FedEx Cup
Danny, what’s worked so well for you the first uh two days? Um definitely the putting has been the biggest part uh first week with a new putter and it’s it’s been really solid. Just made a lot of a lot of like 20 30 footers honestly. So that’s been able to really get the momentum going. What was kind of the impetus be behind the switch switching putters? Um I mean I’ve tried a handful of different putters. like probably about a week ago. I couldn’t have told you which of three different putters I was going to be using this week. Um so yeah, I had I had three I liked. I just had to really figure out which one it was going to be and just and just go with that one and be confident. Just needed to see maybe something something new when you look down. Yeah. And I’ve been moving around a little bit putter-wise this year. I’ve used a handful of different putters um and just haven’t been able to really feel like one was the one yet. So hopefully this one is it. Yeah. You was talking to Todd about how kind of matting this game can be, how your game didn’t feel that far off, but you’re, you know, you’re missing cuts. When you’re in that kind of mode, especially after the finish of the players championship, what’s what’s your minds what’s your mentality like when you’re kind of in that in that that that kind of grind? Yeah, I mean, it’s it’s hard because it’s hard to not start really just focusing on results, like just praying you make cuts and that’s all you’re kind of thinking about. Um, so getting to a point where I was just focusing on the work and and just trusting in that process. Uh it it took took some time, but I felt like I I did a good ch good job of that the last few weeks coming into this week. Um and felt good about my game coming in Monday. Not like I had to come in here and like find it with the card line from, you know, 125 to 100. Does that make any make this time of year feel any different? Um, I mean, it’s hard to say for me because this this is my rookie year. Um, and I don’t we don’t really know what like that 101 to 125 category is going to be like next year. So, I’m just I’m not thinking about it. I’m just I’m just trying to work hard and play good golf and trust that it’ll work out. Do you like knowing where you’re at or do you try to stay away from knowing? Uh, I I mean, I know I knew where I was at coming into the week. Um, I’m not going to pay attention to like projections or anything. Um, but yeah, it’s it’s hard to not see because after every event you get a text that you know we we all know what we are. It’s unavoidable. Thanks. Yeah, you’re the second person stepped up here said that this I think I saw someone else say that. It’s super true yesterday. Yeah. Like you get a text like, “Oh, tournament’s over. Who won?” And he’s like, “Oh crap, I fell eight spots.
