Drawing inspiration from his ailing mother, a fit-again Lucas Herbert has declared he's not playing the Australian Open to make up the numbers.
Herbert withdrew from last week's Australian PGA Championship midway through the second round with a back injury that he's not entirely overcome.
The European and US PGA Tour winner admits he probably wouldn't tee up this week if it was the first event of a long stretch.
"(But) I want to win the Australian Open. I don't want to sit on my couch and watch someone else win it this week," Herbert said on Tuesday.
"We've got a lot of time off after this week as well. Obviously Christmas and the New Year and what not.
"I think being the last event of the season, it's in a good enough position where I feel like I can play this week and not do any more damage.
"That's where I feel like I'm at."
Herbert is vowing to hang tough and battle the disc issue like his mother Meredith is dealing stoically with a recent breast cancer diagnosis.
"It's just happened over the last couple of months. It's sad to watch your parents go through that kind of stuff but she's more stubborn than me," said the world No.57.
"So I know that she'll get through everything and get there at some point.
"Dad's a great support for her. I know he'll do more than she wants him to do at home, so that sort of takes a bit of the pressure away and makes me feel a little bit more at ease.
"We've had a lot of conversations about it the last couple of weeks and Mum more than anything wants me to go and play well and get my head on TV so that it gives her something to watch."
Herbert said his mother was in great hands with his father Lyndon looking after her.
"Dad deserves more credit than he gets for everything he did for me for my golf career," he said.
"He drove me everywhere as a kid and gave me the chance to be able to live my career like it is now."
Almost a decade on from once driving his son from Melbourne to Sydney overnight so Herbert could contest Monday qualifying for the Open, 26-year-old Herbert dreams of winning the Stonehaven Cup and dedicating victory to his parents.
And he can't think of a better place to win it than Victoria Golf Club following the Open's return to Melbourne after a decade in Sydney.
"It's a little bit like the Open Championship, winning at St Andrews versus winning at any other venues," Herbert said.
"You're not going to say no to winning it at another venue, but it's definitely a lot more special to win on the Sandbelt.
"For me anyway, given I grew up basically around this area.
"So yeah, it would be very cool to be holding that trophy at the end of the week."
