Dou's game swinging into form

PGA Tour rookie has sights set on retaining card for next season

China's "Marty" Dou Zecheng hopes a recent decision to hook up with Jordan Spieth's swing guru will help salvage a frustrating rookie campaign and make it a summer to remember on the PGA Tour.

After struggling to find his best form for much of the season, the 21-year-old from Henan recently turned to Cameron McCormick to help him make a late bid to retain his Tour card.

In 17 starts this season, Dou has made only four cuts, with a tie for 51st at the Valero Texas Open being his best finish. He currently sits 219th in the FedExCup standings, with the top 125 keeping their cards for the 2018-19 season.

"I probably need one or two solid weeks to keep my card. I can feel it coming. My game feels pretty good, and I'm hitting the ball well," Dou said ahead of the Military Tribute at Greenbrier in West Virginia.

"I just need to make more putts. I'm trying to put everything together, getting some of last year's confidence back."

Dou shot an impressive 4-under 66 in Thursday's opening round on the Old White TPC course in White Sulphur Springs.

Former US Open champion Webb Simpson shook off a weather delay to fire a career-best 61 for a one-shot lead over Kim Whee.

McCormick, who was named the 2015 PGA of America Teacher of the Year, has spent countless hours reworking Dou's swing since they teamed up in April.

"After I started working with Cameron, my game feels a lot better. It's good to have him looking after my swing," said Dou.

"We've been getting the bad parts out and reducing the mistakes. I feel more confident and it's getting better. He's adjusted the position of my clubface at the top of my swing and worked on my posture.

"I need to trust these changes as I've not changed my swing for 10 years. I've put in the work. I am confident and feel a top-10 is coming soon."

A graduate from the PGA Tour Series-China, where he won four times in 2016, Dou broke through on the Web.com Tour last season to become the first Chinese to win on American soil and earn a PGA Tour card.

Playing on different courses every week has been a key challenge this year and Dou acknowledged his game is still evolving as he attempts to compete against the world's elite.

With a run of consecutive tournaments lined up over the coming weeks, he hopes to ignite a hot run to improve his FedExCup standings position.

"I'm looking forward to playing in four or five consecutive tournaments," said Dou, who enjoys playing e-sports and staying in touch with family and friends on WeChat when he's not on the course.

"Last season, I played 18 weeks in a row on the Web.com Tour, so I'm looking forward to the next few weeks.

"When I got onto a streak of events last season, I played really well and ended up winning in Kansas, which was also in July.

"I hope to get on a good run and get the good vibes back. I know I have to play pretty good from now on to have a chance of keeping my PGA Tour card."

Dou knows the hard knocks endured in his rookie year will only strengthen his resolve.

"I'm still only 21 and I have a long way to go. This year has been a great experience and if I can stay on the PGA Tour, I'll be better prepared," he said.

"Little things ... like knowing the golf courses better and knowing where the good restaurants are will make things easier the next time I return for the same event."

Dou's compatriot Zhang Xinjun, 31, who shot a 1 over 71 at Greenbrier on Thursday, is also aiming to improve his 151st position on the Fed-ExCup standings.

Zhang has played in 22 tournaments this season, posting one top-10 and three top-25s.

Like Dou, he also played his way onto the PGA Tour by virtue of his success on the PGA Tour Series-China and Web.com Tour last season.