Turner has just completed his senior professional debut, finishing in a respectable tie for 56th at the Senior PGA Championship in St Louis, Missouri.
It seems likely his next event will be another major, the Senior British Open at Royal Birkdale in July.
''Starting my senior career with two majors - just easing into it,'' Turner said from his hotel room in St Louis yesterday.
It has been nine years since Turner retired from competitive golf, following an outstanding career in which he won four times on the European Tour and five times on the Australasian Tour.
His comeback has included strong performances at both the New Zealand Open and the New Zealand PGA, and now a creditable effort in a Senior PGA Championship that featured Bernhard Langer, Kenny Perry, Mark O'Meara and Rocco Mediate, among others.
''I'm reasonably pleased. I was jumping in the deep end a bit, so to do OK is quite pleasing,'' Turner said.
''It was very much about getting a sense of where I stand, and to know whether there's an opportunity to think about doing more of this.
''The good thing for me this week was I didn't in any way feel outmatched. I didn't feel out of place, and I didn't feel I was struggling in comparison with the other guys. That's kind of nice.
''I played pretty solidly. I just didn't have a day where I really got it going. I putted nicely but didn't really hole anything, if that makes sense.''
Turner (50) had rounds of 74, 70, 73 and 72 to finish 5-over-par. His final round included three birdies and helped him climb seven places.
The two-time New Zealand Open Champion was 16 shots behind Japan's Kohki Idoki, who won the title by two shots from Perry and Jay Haas.
He said the senior tour was a ''massive deal''. Crowds at the Bellerive club were large, the atmosphere was not too dissimilar to an actual major, and old friends and adversaries were around every corner.
''It was fun. When you've been away for nine or 10 years, you wonder if you're out of sight, out of mind. But it wasn't like that.
''If it fits in, I could go and play a little bit more. But it would be subordinate to other stuff I do. I'm not interested in it being a full-time job again.''
Turner's priority is now course design. His latest project is the makeover of the Russley club, in Christchurch, and another project is ''on the drawing board''.
He is also chairing a Tourism New Zealand working group looking at strategies for the promotion of golf tourism.
''I've been lobbying this for a while. TNZ are investigating it and I think are really surprised by the potential that is there.
''Things have quietly changed in New Zealand golf over the last 10 to 15 years. A number of international-quality courses have been built, and a few upgraded as well.
''We've got more of a range of golf product than we ever have before. It's an area of tourism that hits the sweet spot because it's low impact and high yield, and the infrastructure is also pretty much there.''
Turner was invited to play in the Senior PGA. He is exempt from qualifying for the Senior British Open, and another big seniors tournament in Germany a week later, because of his career performances in Europe.
