Best of British: Andy Sullivan
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Since bursting onto the European Tour in 2012, the 29-year-old has enjoyed a meteroric rise up the world rankings. Kit Alexander asked him to reveal the key learnings he’s picked up along the way.
1 – I score better with a fade
When I first got on tour I played a big draw. When it was on it was fine, but when it was off it was very destructive. I changed my coach to Jamie Gough and we worked on hitting the ball left-to-right. It took a long time to make it natural. I started to play well in the last six months of last year and this year it’s felt really natural to hit the ball with a fade. My parameters have moved in and I don’t hit the ball as wide anymore. I feel like I’ve got a lot more control over the ball. I’m still able to move the ball right-to-left but the fade is definitely my go-to shot.
2 – Short game is the difference between good and bad scores
Short game is the be all and end all for me. We all hit it badly from time to time but if your short game is on you can still get it round in a decent number. On the odd round when I have hit it badly, my short game has saved me, and it helps me shoot the best score possible when I’m hitting it well. I’ve always been a decent putter but I’ve worked hard on speed control and on my short-range putting.
3 – I can win in different ways
I was surprised when I won my first event because I hadn’t really had the chance to close out a victory before. I’d had a lot of good finishes but they’d come mainly from coming from behind with a low round on the final day. The South African Open win came as a bit of a shock, especially with Charl Schwartzel falling away on the last few holes. It felt like it was given to me a little bit, but I made the most of it with an aggressive approach shot and a birdie to win the play-off against a major champion. It felt like I took the initiative when I won in Jo’burg. I shot a poor first round on a short course and came back to win so I got a lot of respect for that. It was the first week I’ve ever had where I felt like I was going to win – and did it.
4 – You have to focus on the little things
Sometimes you can fall into the trap of focusing on the outcomes – like getting into the top 50 and qualifying for all the majors and WGCs – but this can have a negative effect. If I stick to my processes and routines and hit every shot as well as I can then everything else takes care of itself. When you see guys performing to the highest level they’re not thinking about being world number one or winning the tournament, they’re purely thinking about what they can control.
5 – Confidence makes everything easier
I’m a lot more confident now. When you’ve got results in the bag and played well, you feel like you belong. You’ve also got experiences and feeling that you can call on when you’re not playing great. You see a lot of guys who start playing well and then carry it on for a four or five-week run because the confidence builds and they’re not thinking about the bad shots. I enjoy it 10 times more than when I first got on the European Tour. I used to get down on myself quite a lot whereas now I’m very relaxed and going out there to enjoy myself.
6 – You’ve got to be aggressive at the right time
I’m always going to be aggressive when I’m in contention. It may not work out every time but that’s just how I am and how I play golf. When you know what you can do in those pressure situations it’s a massive advantage because you can be calmer and more decisive when you get down the stretch. I only tend to be really aggressive when I’ve got a chance to win. If I’m a couple of shots behind playing the final few holes I’d rather have a go at the flag than play for the middle of the green.
7 – It’s vital to learn from the top pros
I get a lot more respect from my peers now I’ve won twice and a few of the bigger names come and talk to me and give me advice. I played practice rounds with Justin Rose in two majors this year and he’s been an absolute diamond. He’s told me to be patient in the majors, he’s given me bits of advice about courses as well because he’s played them more than I have. It was good to play with someone of his calibre to see I need to get that bit better to get to his level.
8 – PGA Tour courses undoubtedly favour the bombers
PGA Tour courses 100% suit longer hitters more. There’s the odd course that doesn’t but generally the course set-ups are massively in your favour if you can carry the ball 300 yards. The courses on the European Tour put more of a premium on hitting fairways and greens and don’t reward you for knocking it 330 yards into the rough. In the short time I’ve played in America I’ve been at the top of the leaderboard a few times so I think my game is adequate enough to compete and win on the PGA Tour but I need to continue to improve. If you’re in the top 50 you’re good enough to compete wherever you go.
9 – I need to be better mentally at the major championships
I thought I was pretty good mentally but the majors are a completely new experience. There’s a totally different atmosphere and it takes a bit of getting used to. You can get almost star-struck by the whole experience and forget what you’re there to do, but you have to treat it like another event and just play golf. I’m going to feel much more at home and more relaxed in the majors next year.
10 – There’s greater strength in depth than ever before
If you go back 15 or 20 years ago there were probably 20 guys who could win majors, whereas now there are 50 or 60 guys in the mix. Technology has brought everyone a bit closer as well. When you pitch up at a major you know there are going to be at least 60 guys who are going to play well that week and you just have to raise your game and adjust to that level of expectation.
