West Australian Jarryd Felton is eyeing off a European Tour
card this week at the ISPS HANDA Perth International.

This week’s tournament offers up a world of opportunities for the young Australian’s teeing it. The winner will become fully exempt onto the European Tour until the end of the 2017 season.

That’s a huge motivator for many in the field, including Felton who turned Professional in October last year and quickly won his first title two month’s later at the NSW PGA Championship.

"Tournaments like this for us Aussie guys, it kick starts our careers, as you saw when Nathan Holman won the Aussie PGA at the end of last year, it just kick‑started him off," said Felton. 

"He got to play in a season, two seasons, and it just gets you going, and all those big starts in big tournaments."

"I feel like I definitely belong here, depending if I can bring my A Game at the time but there’s a lot of good players here and they are tour veterans and I’m just starting out." 

However in an unusual discovery, Felton learnt just last week that he is actually short sited and will need to wear glasses.

For year’s Felton and his coach, PGA Professional Ritchie Smith, have worked on his putting, a particular area of weakness in his game.  The revelation that he needs glasses, Felton said explains alot.

"My coach, Ritchie Smith, we thought it was just technique stuff the last couple years with my putting because I’ve been struggling a little," added Felton.

"Then I saw an optometrist Thursday and found out I was short‑sighted and had astigmatism which means my eyes get blurred from a distance." 

While he has opted not to wear glasses for the next three weeks, when he does start to make the adjustment his depth perception is also set to benefit.

"Depth perception was the biggest one.  He (the optometrist) said, as soon as I put glasses on, I will be able to see clearly up front and probably be able to see the hole a little clearer.  Hopefully that will change my game a little bit."

"I will probably put them in play after the New Zealand Open and see how they go."

"I’m not wearing them just yet just in case it does change it a little bit too quickly." 

"I’ve been doing the same thing for the last 20 years of my life, so hopefully stick to that now and then change later on."

Felton tees off in the ISPS HANDA Perth International this afternoon at 1pm playing alongside John Parry from England and Chiragh Kumar from India.