Willett shaping up nicely to challenge big guns – Walker

Willett earned the right to join the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell on a three-week Far East swing by winning the BMW International Open in Germany in June.

After three years of promise, it was a breakthrough win, and gave the 25-year-old added incentive to make winning a habit.

It also gave him the belief that his processes could indeed result in victories. Over the coming weeks he has the chance to prove he belongs in elite company with this week’s Shanghai Masters followed by the WGC HSBC Champions event in China and the Barclays Singapore Open.

Walker, his coach since his amateur days, believes Willett is ready to take the next step, no matter how strong the field.

“He’s not daunted by names,” said Walker of a man who is 18th on the Race to Dubai standings and back inside the world’s top 100. “With Danny it’s all about the quality of his golf. If he gets his game in shape he can be a world class player.”

Walker has noticed a change in approach from the Rotherham Golf Club member this year, that was emboldened by the summer win.

“He’s been very professional and disciplined this year,” said Walker, who is head professional at The Oaks in York and the county’s head coach.

“He’s worked fantastically well since the win. He’s been more patient with himself.

“If things aren’t 100 per cent, he knows that if he keeps working hard on things then he will get there, and as far as I’m concerned he’s every reason to expect good results.

“He was hitting it really nicely before he went out to China and he’s done quite a bit of work with his fitness coach. Both technically and physically he’s in very good shape.”

Willett has taken a couple of three woods to experiment with on his Far East trip. Malton’s Simon Dyson joins Willett in Shanghai and Singapore.

Padraig Harrington stormed to a £375,000 victory in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda, his first win for two years.

Not in the four-man event – meant to be a battle between the season’s major winners – until Ernie Els pulled out injured last Saturday, and only there because Rory McIlroy and first two reserves Graeme McDowell and Tiger Woods all turned it down, the 41-year-old Irishman had rounds of 66 and 67 to beat US Open champion Webb Simpson by one and both Masters champion Bubba Watson and last year’s winner Keegan Bradley by six.

He joins 1991 champion Ian Woosnam as the only European winners of the title.