When Greg Chalmers left the Gold Coast 12 months ago the prospect of retirement was a very real one.

His missed cut at the 2018 Australian Open was his first event since June and after shooting 73-74 to miss the cut at RACV Royal Pines Resort, the 2011 and 2014 Australian PGA champion began to make enquiries around his home town of Dallas, Texas about a career post-playing.

Riddled with arthritis in all five joints in his lumbar spine, Chalmers was also plagued by a torn ligament in his spine that had not yet been diagnosed, an affliction that would remain undetected until midway through this year.

It was 12 months between starts but even before he roared home to finish tied for fifth at the Emirates Australian Open a fortnight ago Chalmers was able to shelve any thoughts of benching the clubs and joining the coaching ranks.

“I was kind of one foot in, one foot out,” Chalmers admitted of his state of mind following last year’s Australian PGA Championship.

“There was a point in June or July where I started to think that if I can’t get this fixed, I need to seek another job. I started to ask questions around town about what to do in golf and coaching and things.

“I went to two different people that I know in town, golf coaches, and asked them if they needed someone to come and help.

“I’m passionate about kids and short game. I’ve done a little bit of mentoring with some young kids at high school, really enjoy that, and just working with people on their short game.

“I’m not really a long game coach. I don’t understand my swing at times let alone yours. But I can help you with chipping and putting.

“I was keen on doing something like that.”

Drawn to play with Queensland pair Rod Pampling and Steven Bowditch and due to commence his 2019 title quest at 11.30am local time, Chalmers led a charge of dad’s army at The Australian Golf Club two weeks ago, a final round of 67 vaulting him up into the top five.

A 10-minute putting session on Monday convinced him that he was physically ready to play but it wasn’t until a birdie putt at the 10th hole of his opening round that the competitive fire also kicked into gear.

“Historically I couldn’t practice putting for longer than 10 minutes. If I did I wouldn’t be able to play the next day,” Chalmers said of the discomfort that effectively sidelined him for 18 months.

“I arrived Sunday and practised putting Monday for an hour and hit balls and did what I needed to do to be competitive and prepare properly. Woke up Tuesday morning and felt fine.

“That was a great moment. That was a victory already. I was really buoyed by the idea that I was pain free on Thursday after preparing Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

“That was pretty cool because if it didn’t work out it was seek employment elsewhere.

“I doubled nine to go 4-over after hitting it in the water but I had two par 5s coming up that I could reach. I was just thinking about trying to play the back nine in under par.

“I holed a 30-footer for birdie on 10 and straight away some of the old feelings of momentum returned.

“Every round of golf has an energy to it and the energy of the round changed in my head. No one else’s, just mine.

“I still had the two par 5s coming up and I’ve just done this (made birdie at 10). Good things started to happen, I played a lot better, hit better shots and got things flowing in the right direction.”

Now 46 years of age, Chalmers is reinvigorated as he seeks a third Joe Kirkwood Cup and determined to not simply tread water until the seniors tour but push the new wave of emerging stars all the way to the 72nd hole.

“I don’t just want to tread water. I would actually like to see if I can play at a high level right now,” Chalmers said.

“I’m trying to prepare myself to do that rather than wait and killing four years for no reason. Because bad golf is bad golf, you’re not going to magically play well because you turn 50.

“I get a fire in me about playing with these young guys and trying to beat them.

“I played some practice rounds at the Australian Open with some young guys. Lovely guys, but in my head I’m thinking, I really want to beat these guys.

“I just have a nice feeling about coming home and playing all the time. It’s always a nice little end to a long season.

“Unusually in this case it’s a nice start to hopefully a new little leg of my career.”