Jeff Winther is hoping to "do some damage" as he makes his first DP World Tour title defence 12 months on from getting locked in the bathroom the morning before soaring to a maiden victory at the Mallorca Golf Open.
The Dane held a two-shot lead after 54 holes last year but was given a scare before his final round as he spent 45 minutes locked in his hotel bathroom, finally being freed after then six-year-old daughter Nora raised the alarm.
A week that had started as a family holiday saw even more drama on Sunday as Winther at times had company at the top of the leaderboard, but a closing level-par 70 was enough to hand him a maiden victory in a week where he had shot two rounds of 62.
“I remember I went here on holiday with my family last year, and then we got locked in my bathroom Sunday morning and then I turned out to be the winner, it was awesome!" he said.
“I tried to hang on on Sunday really. I wasn’t too nervous because the nerves went away after the bathroom stuff in the morning, it was just a weird day. I was like a zombie, it was weird but a great day. My caddie kept me calm, it wasn’t my normal caddie, but it was phenomenal.
“We really went there for a holiday, to combine the two things and it turned out to be a great holiday!
“I wasn’t quite sure if it was a two-shot lead but I was very pleased hitting the fairway on 18 because it’s not an easy tee shot and the rough was quite patchy so I was feeling great and we kept it calm and got it done, it was great."
Winther, a 2015 European Challenge Tour graduate who came through the Qualifying School in 2016, 2017 and 2018 currently sits in 105th in the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, so he is keen to secure a strong finish to the campaign as he targets a fourth consecutive finish in the top 100 on the season-long list.
The Dane, along with the rest of the field, faces a new challenge as the DP World Tour makes its first trip to Son Muntaner Golf Club and, with the course in pristine condition, the 34-year-old is looking forward to going low again on Mallorca.
“I feel great, I’m hoping to do some damage this week," he said. "The course looks great, the greens look phenomenal, so I think it’s going to be a great week.
“I think there are a few holes that are quite tight but other than that it’s hammer all day. You’ve got short wedges in, I think the main thing this week is going to be spin control, because you’ve got a lot of wedges in your hand.
"It’s a short course and the par fives are reachable. It will be low scoring definitely.”
