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Gutsy Australian golfer Greg Chalmers is struggling to keep his Tour card and is hoping for a strong finish this week at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Australian veteran Greg Chalmers says a healthy dose of perspective is keeping him relaxed as he fights to stay on the US PGA Tour.
Chalmers is playing the US Tour this year on a major medical exemption and has five events remaining to earn 244 FedEx Cup points.
He needs a hot result and the gutsy left-hander gave himself a chance at this week's Pebble Beach Pro-Am, courtesy of a four-under-par 67 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
Canadian Nick Taylor lit up Monterey Peninsula on day one with a 63 and at eight under leads by two shots from Patrick Cantlay (66, Spyglass) and unheralded Chase Seiffert (66, Pebble Beach).
Five-time major winner Mickelson sits four under while two-time Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner Johnson is a shot further back.
The 46-year-old Chalmers recently took an 18-month break from the US Tour for 18 months due to severe back pain.
The Western Australian combined radical platelet-rich plasma injections and anti-inflammatory drugs to treat a torn ligament and widespread arthritis in his spine.
He played his first tournament in 12 months at the recent Australian Open, where he tied for fifth.
Chalmers needs to find that form on the US Tour, with a second place result enough to lock up his card.
Otherwise, he will have to chip away at it.
"I need a crazy good week any week during the five starts I've got left," Chalmers told AAP on Thursday.
"I need to play some great golf and not just one round. But today was a good start and we'll try keep going deeper tomorrow."
Chalmers has just one win on the US Tour and has managed to play 17 full seasons on the American circuit despite being relegated to the secondary tour several times.
The two-time Australian Open winner has promised to give this fight a red-hot crack, but he is unfazed if he fails.
"I've realised the world doesn't end when you lose your card; I've lost my card plenty of times and found a way to fight back to the PGA Tour," he said.
"It's not something I desire, but I know life keeps ticking along. I think I have better golf in me and today was a good sign.
"I'm pretty tenacious and I've had a great short game that has held me in good stead for more than 20 years on this tour.
"And I Iove the grind of pro golf; it's all I want to do. I have all my eggs in one basket, so I need to keep putting eggs in there. I just have to play well."
