JORDAN Smith’s rising profile in world golf will be underlined by his changing schedule in 2018.

The 24 year old from Derry Hill hopes to conclude his 2017 European Tour commitments with four tournaments, starting at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China, which was getting under way today, and ending at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in the middle of next month, by making further strides in both the tour’s end-of-season standings and world rankings.

After that, the Bowood-based player plans to put the clubs in storage for up to two months as he takes stock of a sensational debut year at the top table, which included a first European Tour victory and a ninth-placed finish at his maiden Major championship - the US PGA Championship.

With the possibility of forcing his way into contention for further Major championship appearances in 2018, as well as the lucrative World Golf Championship tournaments, the Wiltshire ace has revealed his schedule will be tailored around peaking for those events next year.

“After Dubai, I’m pretty certain I won’t be playing until the second week of January,” he told the Gazette & Herald.

“It will be a nice bit of downtime to get ready for the new year.

“The schedule next year will be based around majors and the WGC events and the bigger European Tour events in between those.

“It (2017) has been awesome, above what I thought my first year was going to be.

“It’s been one hell of a year and I’ve just got to keep it going now.

“There had been talk about winning an event soon but I was there or thereabouts in quite a few leading up to it (July’s European Open, which he won) so I knew it was around the corner.

“I was playing well and it was just nice to get that win under the belt.’’ Ranked 76 in the world, Smith is hoping his meteoric rise can continue next year, opening the door to invites to all the Majors and other top events.

Should he finish inside the top 50 at the end of this year, he would earn an invite to April’s Masters, although he could also achieve that by securing a top 50 spot in the lead-up to next season’s opening Major.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and just go out there and enjoy it,’’ added Smith.

“It would be nice to finish inside that top 50 (in the world). It’s going to be quite an ask but you never know what might happen.

“If you are inside the top 50 you get into all of the Majors and the WGC events.’’ As for this season, Smith also has a target in mind.

“There are no cuts in each of the four events so I’ve just got to go there and enjoy myself,” he said.

“They are all new experiences and I’ve just got to go there and enjoy it.

“But I want to get inside that top 15 for the Race to Dubai, that would be nice.’’