WARRNAMBOOL professional Marc Leishman hopes a whirlwind trip home will culminate in a breakthrough Australian Open victory.
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Leishman is among a star-studded field which includes world number one Jordan Spieth – the player he stunned at the Presidents Cup in October – vying for the coveted Stonehaven Cup.
The British Open runner-up, who spent four days in the south-west in the lead-up to the tournament, will tee off on Thursday at Sydney’s Australian Golf Club with high expectations.
“As an Australian, you want to win your Australian Open,” he said.
“It's a pretty good field, it's a prestigious tournament and it's definitely high on my list of goals to win one of those.
"I have never won a big event in Australia. I have won maybe four events as a pro in Australia but never one of the big three - the Open, PGA or the Masters.”
Leishman, 32, said he will take confidence into the tournament against a bumper field including countryman Adam Scott, who is coming off an indifferent Australian Masters.
"I have played two Australian Opens at that course before,” he said.
“I haven't played it since it's been re-done but I have played well there in the past and am definitely aiming to win it.
"It is a big event and I feel like I am playing pretty good and just have to put it all together.
"Jordan Spieth is playing and he's number one in the world, Adam Scott is playing, Steven Bowditch, John Senden. There are a lot of really good players playing.”
Leishman said defending champion Spieth, who won two of the four US majors this year, was a coup for Australian Open organisers.
"It is huge - it brings extra world ranking points to the tournament, extra publicity and to have the world number one is a pretty big deal,” he said.
"It is big for him to come out this year because it's on Thanksgiving in America which is probably their biggest holiday, so that makes it even better.”
Leishman said beating American Spieth at the Presidents Cup, which narrowly went the way of Team USA, was one of the highlights of his year.
"I knew that I'd have to play really well to beat him but I am never one to give up or back down from a challenge,” he said.
"I was two down after two holes which was obviously a nightmare start but I managed to play well after that and holed a nice putt on the last to beat him.
"I needed to hole that putt to keep us in it. If I'd have missed that eight-footer it would've been all over, so it was pretty satisfying just to perform when I really needed to."
