Ryan Fox is hopeful that being back in his happy place on the DP World Tour will help inspire more form after admitting it's been "tough at times" adjusting to life on Tour in America.
Fox, who won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last season and finished fifth on the Race to Dubai to secure one of the top ten PGA Tour cards, makes his return this week for just his third regular season event appearance on the DP World Tour.
Arriving from the U.S., this week marks the start of a run of three European events for Fox, including next week's Genesis Scottish Open and The 152nd Open at Royal Troon, and the New Zealander is hopeful that being back among friends in a familiar environment will benefit his game.
"I still say I'm a little bit jet lagged, but getting over it, but it's certainly nice to be back in Europe," Fox told the DP World Tour.
"It's, you know, been a little tricky, a little tough at times in America and it's good to see a bunch of old friends and everyone involved with the Tour out here. It feels like it's been a bit social the last couple of days, just chatting, everyone walking around the range which is cool.
"It's just good to be back. You know, enjoy it over here. I've got a lot of really good friends out on Tour and it's good to see see them and hopefully get to have a few dinners with them and catch up. And generally when I'm happy off the golf course, it translates to playing well on the golf course. And I certainly hope that's the case this weekend and for the next few weeks."
The adjustment to life on the PGA Tour is something that has been talked about by several other players, including Robert MacIntyre, and Fox admits that his first full season in the United States has taken some getting used to.
In addition to adapting to players doing their 'own thing a little more' than on the DP World Tour, Fox also took his young family out on the road for a few months without having a home base - something he has on the DP World Tour.
And while praising the success of Matthieu Pavon and MacIntyre, who have managed to record victories out on the PGA Tour, Fox says it's only now that he feels like he's really found his feet - which has shown more recently in his results.
"I think overall the guys (coming from the DP World Tour have done pretty well. Obviously Bobby and Matt winning have been the highlights and I mean, Matt's had an absolutely fantastic year so far and you know a few of us are starting to do alright.
"I think it's just a little bit different. You know, everyone's just does their own thing a little bit more. It's a bit more, kind of, everyone goes their own way from the airport and stays wherever they want and stuff like that, whereas I feel like over here it's, you know, a bit more social.
"You know, plus I've been out here for a fairly long time now and kind of feel like I know everyone and can chat to everyone and that's what I enjoy doing and probably didn't have quite as much of that in the U.S. and I probably made it harder with travel with the family earlier in the year.
"I've got three and a half year old and one year old and I think we had 20 weeks living out of a suitcase with them with no base. So while it was great to have them on Tour, it certainly didn't feel like, you know, I had much of a break much time to rest and ended up playing a lot so it's been tough in that sense.
"But I've started to feel like I've found my feet a little bit the last couple of months over there and played a little bit better and you know hopefully you know, couple of weeks over here that count for both tours with Scottish next week and obviously The Open and obviously playing here hopefully get some form back in my happy place and take that back to America later in the year."
Highlights of Fox's year include a tie for fourth at the Myrtle Beach Classic and a tie for seventh at the RBC Canadian Open at the beginning of last month, which is form he'll be hoping to bring this week to a venue where he has a history of playing well.
Although he missed last year’s tournament, Fox finished tied 14th the first time he teed up at GolfClub München Eichenreid in 2021, and followed it with a third place in 2022 that included a second round 64 - one of seven under par rounds he's had at this week's course.
"Form wise it's certainly close. I've had weeks where I haven't quite put it together, but you know all parts of the game have kind of been working so we just need to actually put them all together at the same time.
"I'm looking forward to this week. It's always has been a golf course I've played well out before and always enjoyed coming to and, you know, hopefully that helps them put the pieces together.
"I think I finished third here last time when Hoatong won and got pretty close and you know, just didn't quite have it on Saturday and Sunday. But yeah, it's nice coming back to a golf course I've got good memories of."
