Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

The Friday before last, I took the opportunity to watch a little of the action at the professional golf tournament at Tauranga Golf Club.

Arriving in the late morning there was plenty of people around, with the early starters finishing their round and the afternoon starters turning up to get ready for a pm start.

The overflow car parking that stretched out to the extremities of the racecourse, told the tale of a full field of professional and amateur golfers in the Carrus Open. It was only after doing a little research that Sideline Sid found that there is professional golf circuit in New Zealand albeit with little of the riches associated with the international tours.

Cream rose to the top with the hot favorite in Josh Geary making it three from three in the Carrus Open. Commentators suggested that it was the way he handled the brutal winds on day three, that provided the platform for his commanding eight shot victory. A hot field of kiwi golfers lined up chasing the forty thousand dollars in the pot. Included in the lineup was former Japan tour player Richard Lee, who is the only Kiwi golfer to shoot the magical 59, which he shot on the Tauranga course three years ago.

While there is a New Zealand professional circuit, the reality is the majority that play at home are here because they have struggled to get a tour card overseas. Life on the pro golf road can be brutal, with players relying on shared transport and bunking with friends and supporters at tournaments to eke out the dollars.

The Charles Tour, which celebrates the feats of New Zealand's greatest golfer Sir Bob Charles, is a lifeline to a number of Kiwi pros who use it as a springboard to tournaments in Australian and the Pacific.

Minor overseas tour cards and invitations to the two big money events in New Zealand, of the New Zealand PGA and New Zealand Open, can come from success in the five Charles tour events each year that all have forty grand up for grabs.

Life seems glamorous and fast paced when players win tournaments, however the reality for the majority of the pros at the Carrus Open is that it is a part time occupation with little reward. While we all read and hear about Josh Geary and the other contenders there is little fanfare for the players who shot rounds over par.

For a good number their tournament finished on day two when they failed to make the cut (qualify) for the money on offer on Saturday and Sunday.

The Mount Pro Am to be played in December, is typical of the tournaments throughout the country that give the aspiring pro golfers and the part time professionals, the chance to win some money and more importantly to get the all-important ranking points on the NZPGA Order of Merit. With a total stake of $15,000 the local tournament is part of a circuit of around 20 tournaments that have between $10,000-30,000 on offer.

For the successful, there will be invitations to bigger money events - however the greatest value of the Pro Am circuit is the chance for the young aspiring professionals to test the waters of professional golf at home.

Seeya on the golf course.