The Virginia Beach-based Leishman delayed the start of his US PGA Tour season after he and wife Audrey welcomed their first son Harvey into the world on January 10.

“It was just the best feeling in the world,” the new father said.

After skipping two tournaments due to the birth, Leishman will leave his baby boy today for California to prepare for his first event of the year — the Farmers Insurance Open. “It will definitely be very tough but I guess that’s life,” he said.

“Hopefully him and Audrey will be able to start travelling in three or four months and it won’t be so bad.”

This week’s $US6 million Farmers Insurance Open, in San Diego, will be Leishman’s first tournament since the Australian PGA in late November.

“I had about four weeks where I didn’t touch a club but the last couple of weeks, I’ve been practising a bit,” he said.

“It’s been really cold though.

“It’s been between zero and 10 degrees celsius but I’ve still managed to get some practice in.”

The 28-year-old is aiming for a more consistent 2012 after coming off an up-and-down year.

“I probably got a little bit untidy last year,” he said.

“I started off all right but then I really didn’t play that well at the end of the year.

“I was pretty scratchy.”

He said a breakthrough win on the tour was his ultimate aim this year.

“First of all, I’d really like to get a win but mostly I’m hoping to do all the right things and go about it in the right way because then the results take care of themselves,” he said.

“In a way I’ve been a bit frustrated that I haven’t got a win but I’m playing against the best golfers in the world every week, so you’ve got to do everything right.”

The 2009 US PGA Tour rookie of the year plans to contest about 25 tournaments this year.

“It would be nice to play really well at the start of the year so I can have a lighter schedule in the middle of the year but we’ll just have to see how I go,” he said.

“It will depend on how things go and what majors I get into and things like that.

“Definitely in the first quarter of the year, I’ll be playing a bit less than I normally would (because of Harvey).”

After the Farmers Insurance Open, Leishman will compete in the Phoenix Open in Arizona, followed by a week off.