Harrison Endycott is drawing inspiration from born-again Camilo Villegas as he fights to save his PGA Tour card.
Endycott is among three Australians teeing up at this week's RSM Classic in Georgia with their future on golf's most lucrative tour uncertain.
But while 50-year-old Greg Chalmers and Cameron Percy, who turns 50 in May, have opportunities to join the Champions Tour in 2024, Endycott is only starting out.
The 27-year-old is sitting 140th in the season-long points standing entering the final event of the FedExCup Fall series, with only the top 125 to retain their full playing cards.
Endycott must finish top-four on St Simon's Island on Sunday to have any hope of climbing into the top 125.
If not, he will need to stay in the top 150 to gain conditional status for next season.
"Look, it's not the position I wanted to be in," Endycott said on a zoom call on Thursday.
"I really feel like I've had a very disappointing year this year. There is no doubt about that.
"I know my game is at a better level than where I believe it is this year.
"But if I go win this week, would you look at that as a good year or a bad year? One week changes the narrative so differently."
Villegas proved that with victory at last week's Bermuda Championship.
The 41-year-old Colombian overcame the death of his 22-month-old daughter from cancer to fight his way back from the depths of despair to claim his first PGA Tour win since 2014.
"It's heartbreaking," Endycott said of Villegas's ordeal.
"To go through so many ups and downs on and off the golf course, what he had to go through, was absolutely awful and no one should ever have to deal with that.
"To see how he handles life and talk to him talk about how golf is (not life or death) that's how you've kind of got to approach it.
"It can change so quickly on this tour and this life. I haven't been playing great but it's always close. Camilo proved that very, very quickly and I'm trying to draw off that energy this week."
Even if it doesn't happen this week, Endycott isn't planning on going anywhere.
The Sydney-born talent is buying a house in Nashville with his fiancee and is confident of remaining in America for the long haul.
"We all work too hard to just give up. You've just got to keep plugging away," Endycott said.
"I've got a ton of opportunity and there's a lot of guys that would love to be in my position."
Jason Day and Cam Davis are the only Australians with full PGA Tour playing rights assured for next season.
Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Lucas Herbert and Aaron Baddeley are eligible for full-field tournaments but must qualify for the "Signature" events offering increased prize money and FedExCup points.
