WAYNE RILEY

A former member of the European Tour and two-time winner, Wayne is part of the Sky Sports golf team. He writes exclusively for Golf Monthly

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The first Major of the year has come and gone and it was a big hit all round, with high viewing figures, widespread praise for the course and a remarkable young champion. Collin Morikawa is a born winner and someone who has made that art look easy in his fledgling career. Having played professional golf, I can tell you it’s anything but, and not just the Majors but the regular events too. While watching the young maestro saunter to victory at TPC Harding Park, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own career and the times I got over the line...

My first time as a winner of a professional event came at the age of 22 in the Victorian PGA Championship, beating 1991 Open Champion Ian Baker-Finch in a play-off. The feeling was surreal. You never quite know if you’re good enough or if your time will come. Nothing is guaranteed, especially in the game of golf. At that time, there were so many good Australian golfers and getting over the line gave me a sense of belonging.