Golf-Emotional Davis credits hypnotherapy for return to winning form

FILE PHOTO: Jun 21, 2024; Cromwell, Connecticut, USA; Cam Davis hits the ball in the first hole fairway during the second round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TCP River Highlands. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

(Reuters) - In the doldrums after a barren run of tournaments, Cam Davis said he used hypnotherapy as a circuit-breaker before claiming his second PGA Tour title at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Davis also needed a bit of luck, with Akshay Bhatia three-putting on the final hole at the Detroit Golf Club on Sunday to gift-wrap the trophy for the 29-year-old Australian.

Three years after claiming his first PGA Tour win at the same tournament, a relieved Davis struggled to hold back tears and spoke of a "roller-coaster of emotions".

"I'm working with a hypnotherapist that I only just started working with, just trying to take a different approach to try and get my head back in the right place," he told reporters.

"I honestly haven't been in a very good place mentally at all for the last six months or so.

"I felt like all the opportunities have been slipping out of my hands as the year progresses without playing very good golf.

"I felt like a change of direction was definitely needed, something that I was actually going to stick to because I'm definitely someone that will start doing something and if it doesn't feel like it's helping straight away, it's very easy to drop it."

Davis's aspirations of representing Australia at the Paris Olympics golf tournament fell by the wayside during his lean start to the year.

The country will be represented by former world number one Jason Day and Min Woo Lee, who finished joint runner-up at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Davis, however, will hope his Detroit win might put him on track for a spot on the International team for the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal in September.

"I guess I just missed the boat on the Olympics, this win's come a little bit late for that big goal of the year, but I've got two more big goals of finishing high on the FedExCup and also trying to get on that Presidents Cup team," he said.

"Just to know that the good golf is in there and was able to come out this week, I want to just keep that rolling. I've still got plenty to play for this year."

(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)