AAP
After largely ignoring sports psychologists for his entire career, Australian golfer Geoff Ogilvy has revealed one is part of his resurgence.
Ogilvy recently hired Julie Elion on the recommendation of neighbour Jim "Bones" Mackay, the long-time caddy of Phil Mickelson, who has also used her services.
And he says the intellectual stimulation of psychology is working wonders.
The 2006 US Open champion turned around a tough start to 2013 with a second-place finish in last week's Honda Classic, catapulting him from an eight-year low world ranking of 79th to 47th, into this week's World Golf Championships tournament and within reach of a Masters berth next month.
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But Ogilvy says it's not the normal golf-related sports psychology he's gained benefit from, rather a more holistic approach from Elion that has helped calm his non-tournament world.
"We had a chat and have had a few more since then and it's been really good actually," said Ogilvy.
"I was brought up on quite a lot of sports psychology at the Victorian Institute of Sport but, really, the basic sports psychology isn't for me.
"This is really more general psychology that's helping me, I would say. It's less golf-specific and more sensible life thinking.
"I wasn't sure the standard golf issues were for me, but this is broader than that and more interesting to me and therefore better for me."
Ogilvy explained his issues related to "Monday to Wednesday" rather than the Thursday to Sunday of tournaments themselves. With a more settled approach to family and to practising golf, he's feeling much healthier overall.
World Golf Championship events are limited fields, with just 65 in the mix this week, meaning no cut and a great chance for Ogilvy to score more valuable world ranking points as the Masters invitation cut-off date to be inside the world top 50 looms on April 1.
Ogilvy has played every Masters since 2006, making each cut, with a highest finish of tied 4th in 2011 and finishing no worse than a tie for 39th, making him as good a chance as any to be the first Australian to win a green jacket.
First, he has to get there.
"It's been on my mind really all year," he said.
"This is probably the most points I'll play for between now and the Masters so it would be obviously great to win the golf tournament but a consolation prize would be to have a strong finish and lock up the Masters - that would be pretty good.
"I'm thinking about it, and I'll use it as a motivation."
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