Britain's Simon Dyson, well-positioned just one shot off the pace after the first day at the US$1.8 million China Open, said yesterday his return to form coincided with his decision to tone down the amount of partying he did on the tour.
'I kind of enjoyed myself, maybe a bit too much but you learn from it and you grow up,' he said yesterday after carding a solid opening round of five under par at Beijing's Honghua International Golf Club, just one shot behind Frenchman Christian Cevaer.
The 28-year-old Yorkshireman has already tasted success this year with a win at the Jakarta Open last month, but he had gone through a lean spell since his rookie year in 2000 when he took back-to-back titles in the Macau Open and the Volvo China Open.
Fearing that he might never savour victory again, he began to regularly work out in a gym, concentrate more on his game and cut down on his socialising.
'I just totally changed everything, my attitude, I started preparing for the future rather than enjoying the present. I think it's helped me quite a lot,' he said.
Over the years his father had been pressuring him to take his golfing career more seriously.
'My dad was always saying, 'I just wish you would give it a go, give it your all', and after five years it has finally sunk in,' he said.
