Willett blocks internal sounds & # 039; for players championship back

Former Masters champion Danny Willett dropped as low as 462 in the world ranking in 2018

Former Masters champion Danny Willett says that blocking & # 39; internal sounds & # 39; in his mind has helped him get his best back while he prepares for this week's Championship in Sawgrass.

The 31-year-old struggled for shape and condition, while also splitting with his coach, caddy and manager since his surprise win at the Masters in 2016.

"People call you all sorts from behind a computer or a rope, "he said.

"It's more what you say to yourself."

Brit Willett – who now lives in Orlando, Florida, with his family – withdrew from the 2017 players' championship with back injury.

But he defeated alongside American golfer Adam Long and veteran Vijay Singh on Thursday, rejuvenated after processing internal pressure and winning the season-end DP World Tour championship of the European Tour in November 2018 – his first win since 2016 Masters.

"It is not [difficult to deal with] external noise, it is internal noise that is more impressive to try and to be excluded," he told The Cut: The BBC Golf podcast.

"You" I have to walk around with yourself 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it's more what you say to yourself and ask yourself the question.

"You call yourself all sorts of names and don't achieve the kind of things you think you should achieve."

Spectacular Fall of Grace

Willett climbed to the 9th place on the world ranking after being the second Englishman to win the Masters, 20 years later Sir Nick Faldo had claimed his third green coat in Augusta.

However, instead of predicting more success, a spectacular fall ensued.

Injuries played their part, with Willett losing his PGA Tour privileges after failing to make the required 15 starts at the end of the 2016-17 season.

His defense of the Masters also ended prematurely – he became the first defending champion to miss the cut since Mike Weir in 2004 after crowning the top of his first two laps seven times.

then missed the cut in nine of the first 12 tournaments he started in 2018, and dropped to 462 in the world rankings before things started to reverse.

"The win in golf is relatively elusive, so even for a good Tour player, winning is a pretty big problem, you are not trying to base your life around them, but that was a special victory given [Dubai] how things went in my golfing life, "he said

" Dubai was one of those weeks in which I played some beautiful golf courses and made fun putts. "

Augusta beckons

While the Players Championship offers Willett the chance to become only the second Brit to win the event after Sandy Lyle, his focus also builds on the Masters in April.

Rumor has it that the bag at Sawgrass is the largest ever for a single tournament – $ 12.5 million (£ 9.5 million), with a winner of £ 1.7 million.

But the masters of the Augusta National Golf Club have a distinctive appeal.

"For the first time in two years I am going to enjoy that week," said Willett

"I went back as title defender and I had a very hard time, my body was not very good and I tried to embrace as a defending champion and played pretty badly.

"Last year I was close but not quite there. But this year everything is better. The body is better. The mind is better. The game is better. So I'm going to enjoy taming that course again and concentrating on trying to compete.

"It is a place that I know well and that clearly has very good memories. It is nice to go back there. In the best position I have been in for four years."