EDDIE Pepperell credited his partner Jen with providing a piece of advice that set him up for his best result of 2022.

The Abingdon golfer carded five-under par at the Dutch Open to tie for 14th, his highest finish since last May’s Betfred British Masters.

Pepperell did not play a practice round at Bernardus Golf, Cromvoirt, and shot a six-under par 66 on day one to leave him in a share of second place.

Successive rounds of one-over and a one-under par 71 followed, but the Frilford Heath member was thrilled at his stunning start – and revealed he had his partner to thank.

Pepperell told the DP World Tour website: “Last year I was trying hard, I was turning up to tournaments early, working a lot harder than I historically did and I was getting home knackered.

“Jen was like ‘What are you doing? You used to play majors blind, when you were doing well you wouldn’t bother with practice rounds’, and I think she has got a point.

“For me, I always focused on energy levels, short game, trying to at least feel comfortable with where my game is actually at.

“I could play my home golf course and swinging it the way I have been over the last couple of years, not make a cut out here, so the truth is you have got to have your skill set.

"I am prioritising that and I think things are moving in the right direction.”

Starting his opening round at the tenth, Pepperell picked up shots at two of his first three holes and rolled in a lengthy birdie putt on the 17th.

He bogeyed the 18th, but the best was yet to come.

The 31-year-old’s short game was immaculate as he birdied the first, fourth, seventh and eighth holes to end the day a shot off the lead.

Pepperell recovered from a bogey at the second on day two to pick up shots at the fifth, ninth and tenth.

It moved him to eight-under for the tournament, but his momentum stalled with a poor end to the round.

A double bogey at the par-five 13th was followed by dropped shots at the next two holes, although the two-time European Tour winner birdied the 18th.

Pepperell started day three with bogeys at the first, second and fifth holes to slip further away from the pace-setters.

Birdies at the ninth and 12th left him four-under going into the final day of the tournament.

Pepperell ended with a low-key round of one-under, where a bogey at the second was cancelled out by a birdie at the third.

He picked up a shot at the 12th and bogeyed the 16th, before finishing a productive weekend with a birdie at the 18th.