After a sensational start to his DP World Tour career in 2025, Elvis Smylie has no plans to stop.
The Australian competed in 15 DP World Tour events over four seasons before making his career breakthrough on the Australasian PGA Tour at the Bowra & O'Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open.
He carried that form into the DP World Tour by winning the BMW Australian PGA Championship in his 16th start on the DP World Tour, and since then he has not missed a chance to advance, finishing in the Battle of Dubai rankings Ranked sixth.
His Official World Golf Ranking has risen from No. 736 to the top 200, and while he can definitely consider his season a success, Smiley has no intention of resting on his laurels.
“I'm really looking forward to keeping this momentum going,” he said ahead of this week's Ras Al Khaimah Championship. “I had a good performance in my first Rolex Series race in Dubai last week. Hopefully building some good momentum in the Middle East.
“You obviously want to build some strong momentum and by the end of the year there are ten cards up for grabs on the PGA Tour. So my goal is to be in the top 10 at the Race to Dubai and a fast start will definitely help.
“Trying to build some confidence in the middle of the year because there's obviously a lot of great golfers here. You want to get off to a good start and feel as comfortable as possible.”
Smiley's status as the 2025 DP World Tour Champion will guarantee him a Rolex Series entry into the Genesis Scottish Open, the BMW PGA Championship and the next nine events throughout Stage 2 of the season.
With lofty ambitions, he also aims to compete in the DP World Tour play-offs and the final two Rolex Series events of the year, but between now and then, he hopes to enjoy everything the Golf World Tour has to offer.
“I'm obviously planning the season ahead and looking at some of the key big events,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to playing the BMW PGA at Wentworth and luckily I have some really good mates on the DP World Tour who I can travel with and spend some time with. So it definitely helps for adjustment.
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“That win in Australia last December, back in my hometown of Brisbane, changed my life and now gives me the opportunity to compete on a two-year DP World Tour and compete against some of the best players in the world. It’s It just helps me keep my game going and be able to travel to some amazing places around the world.
“I'm most looking forward to playing the Italian Open in Tuscany this year. I've never been there before.”
Smylie joins a host of Australian talent on the DP World Tour and is excited to see some familiar faces, including at Al Hamra Golf Club this week.
“Dave Micheluzzi is a good buddy of mine and he has a very lively personality,” he said. “So I think just like you’re competing against them on tour, you’re competing against the golf course, so whenever I’m off the course I always try to hang out with Micha and some of the other Australians. Brilliantly.
“Really looking forward to the week. I played the front nine yesterday morning with Foxy (Ryan Fox), Dan Hillier and Jason Scrivener. It was like an Australia vs. New Zealand incident. I took some tips from Foxy, who is a former winner here.
“If the wind is blowing really hard, I feel like you need to control the flight of the golf ball really well, and there are a couple of tricky holes and demanding tee shots where you need to make sure you’re starting the play line right.”
