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Whilst some have recently muttered the
words “the game is getting boring”, sending officials and
promoters into a spin, the average weekend hacker amongst us knows how
hard it is to play golf, let alone to try and make a living from it.
Three young guns from the NSW amateur
ranks, Darren Beck, Neven Basic and Robbie Curtis obtained their playing
cards for the Australasian Tour as a result of sterling performances in
last weeks Q-School, played at the par 72 North Course at Melbourne’s
Peninsula Country Club and have turned professional.
Beck’s impressive 66 on the final day
for a combined 4 rounds of 12
under placed him equal first with Gavin Flint. Neven Basic’s solid form
coming from the Australian Open continued and he maintained the strong
opening round of 69 to finish 3rd
with 5 under. Beck and Basic are both inside that much wanted top five
which gives them special privileges for some Australasian Tour Events.
Darren Beck
Robbie Curtis rounded off the three at
22nd place with a 5 over and well inside the needed top 35
(+9) to obtain his playing privileges.
All three have endured their own form
of hardship and frustration in one form or another in getting to
Q-School and obtaining that card. A far cry from the money infested,
“hoo-ha” of the US collegiate system where interest, investment and
every possible gadget is employed in an attempt to
dominate the sport.
 Beck
recently gave up his job as a forklift driver in Sydney and membership
at Castle Hill Country Club, moved to Muswellbrook so as to concentrate
on his golf and save money. A plan he has held since leaving school at
17 and working various “jobs”, to be able to practice with the aim of
turning professional. He won this years Club Championship at
Muswellbrook GC and is currently based there, training 8
Robbie Curtis
hours plus every day.
The 26 year old Beck certainly has the
game and he is known for his calm and methodical approach to keeping a
score low. The final day 66 when your whole livelihood is dependent
upon getting those playing privileges is reflective of this. This surely
cannot be considered “boring” but is more a reflection of a traine d,
disciplined athlete with a strong and focused mind tuned after years of
practice and dedication.
Both Basic and Curtis have endured long
hours in pro-shops, taking those annoying phone calls every Saturday and
Sunday morning to book tee times as well as selling bottles of water
over the counter to the ever talkative and not so friendly weekend
social golfer.
Robbie Curtis
All of this has been done by these
three to get that much needed cash into the bank balance so as to have
some financial backing to give the Tour a go.
A far cry from the formula in the US,
yet the results coming from our golf courses presently speak for
themselves, with the number of Australian players holding USPGA Tour
cards representing the largest of any foreign country on that tour (18
players).
While
Basic and Curtis, who both play out of St.Michael’s GC on Sydney’s
eastern sea board, plan to play the Australian tour events for the next
12 months, Beck has scheduled a trip to the Asian Q-School in an attempt
to also gain his card there. He leaves 2 January 2005 to tackle the same
ground that has seen ne w
pros like Adam Groom (Monash GC) hone their game.
Basic’s next goal is the British Open
International Final Qualifying at Kingston Heath Golf Club starting 24
January 2005 where a 100+ field slog it out for 4 places - an event that
will be anything but boring. Curtis has his eye firmly on the first Von Nida Tour event in 2005, the Mitsubishi Victorian Open at Woodlands GG
on 28 January.
Neven Basic
While the Sydney Major Metropolitan
Pennants 2005 season will see some shoes that will need to be filled
(and there are plenty of young promising players who will do such a
thing), it is pleasing to see the patience and persistence of Beck,
Basic and Curtis paid off and they got that Christmas present they
wanted.
Article
and Photos © 2004 by Anthony Powter – Snapeture.
apowter@snapeture.com.au
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