Jonathan Plaxton expects Danny Willett's next target to be top spot and grand slam

JONATHAN PLAXTON, president of the Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs, has seen Danny Willett rise from Yorkshire Boys team member to Masters champion.
Danny Willett's reaction seems to indicate that he thinks the Masters green jacket fits him a treat as defending champion Jordan Spieth gives a helping hand(Picture: Chris Carlson/AP).Danny Willett's reaction seems to indicate that he thinks the Masters green jacket fits him a treat as defending champion Jordan Spieth gives a helping hand(Picture: Chris Carlson/AP).
Danny Willett's reaction seems to indicate that he thinks the Masters green jacket fits him a treat as defending champion Jordan Spieth gives a helping hand(Picture: Chris Carlson/AP).

And the former Yorkshire title holder believes Willett will already have chosen the next destination on his incredible journey – the summit of world golf.

The Sheffielder’s victory at Augusta moved him up into the top 10 in the world, and Plaxton said: “The next thing for Danny, I have no doubt, is that he will have his eye on the world No 1 spot. His whole demeanour and attitude is that he is not afraid of anyone.”

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As with every winner of the Masters, Willett now finds himself in the unique position of being the only man who can achieve a calendar grand slam this year by adding the US Open, the Open and US PGA Titles.

“I tweeted, ‘One down, three to go,’ and that may sound greedy, but that is the sort of big mentality Danny has got, and it’s what he’ll be thinking of doing,” added Yorkshire’s president.

“If you meet him, you only have to look him in the eye to see that – given the chance he was given at Augusta – he would convert it.”

Yorkshire Union have played their part in progressing Willett from promising club player, to international, on to world No 1 amateur, and finally major champion.

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Their coaching structure is second to none in the country and the 28-year-old green jacket owner is just one of many beneficiaries of all the hard work put in by YUGC.

But Plaxton deflected credit back on to Willett himself, insisting the player should be praised for making the most of the opportunity presented to him, and towards county and England Golf men’s coach Graham Walker.

“I think the fact that Danny did go through the Yorkshire Boys’ and the Yorkshire Men’s squads, then clearly there is a sense of achievement and pleasure in knowing that somehow you have contributed to his development,” said Plaxton. “But that is it in a nutshell. I do not think it should be over-egged.

“At the end of the day it is Danny’s work ethic and individual dedication over the years that has paid off. He has picked up information from various sources and selectively used it to get him where he is now.

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“I also think we have been very lucky in Yorkshire to benefit from world-class coaches being on our doorstep, and to have the continuity of Graham Walker, in particular, coaching at England level, which is where Matt Fitzpatrick (seventh at Augusta) and Danny passed through without changes of coaches, and I think that continuity has been a big help

“Danny was grounded in the basics well and you have only got to look at his swing to see it is based around Graham Walker’s principles and techniques. Graham was a big, big factor in Danny’s formative years.”