ANENDRA SINGH
Queensland golfer Henry Epstein claims to turn the impossible into the unbelievable.
His website promotes him as specialising in "relating magic tricks to individual needs". He is not just an entertainer but an international touring professional with one of the best trick shot shows in the game.
"I have always had the ability to make a golf ball dance. Striving to be better than the best; turning the impossible into the unbelievable. This website is truly for those who don't just appreciate watching a little white ball go into a golf hole but an eye opener into how the game of golf has become my form of art," henryepstein.com reveals.
But the Queenslander and fellow state professional Troy Rothwell couldn't conjure up anything special between them to stop Hawke's Bay professional Doug Holloway from walking away with the Queensland Rookie of the Year title on Tuesday night.
"Apparently not," a grinning Holloway replied when SportToday asked him if Epstein's abracadabra wasn't that effective after all.
"I heard that I was nominated so I got on the computer this morning to look at the Queensland newspapers and saw my name in the results as Rookie of the Year."
The Henry Epstein Show shot to prominence in November 2001 when Epstein smashed the Guinness World Record for golf ball control. The feat involved juggling a golf ball non-stop between the faces of two sand wedges for 33min 33sec. The previous Guinness Book of Records mark was 13min 42sec and now stands at 59min 58sec.
Holloway, 23, of Te Pohue, boarded a flight to Napier on Tuesday night after failing to make the cut in an Adelaide tournament. Yesterday he was relaxing at the Sharpies Golf Driving Range and Pro Shop and catching up with his coach, Brian Doyle, a Hastings PGA professional and New Zealand Golf academy coach.
Rothwell, who finished his apprenticeship last year, amassed 249 points from 70 qualifying rounds last season to earn $A9538 in seventh place while Epstein finished in 24th place with 173 points from 50 rounds and pocketing $10,375.
Maraenui Golf Club member Holloway finished tied in 20th place, with Nathan Weir and Matthew Ballard, earning $A16,556 but only played 33 qualifying rounds to amass 179 points from a field of 109 golfers.
"Well, anytime, no matter where you are, if you get rookie of the year as a professional then it means a lot. "I don't think they have it New Zealand but it's good to be recognised for the way I've played in my first year out. It wouldn't be a bad thing to have one like that although we wouldn't have many to choose from."
Turning professional early last year, the former Bay amateur No.1 "struggled a little bit" in South Australia , winning only one Pro-Am tournament in the early stages. "That's the only joy I had for a month - the Links Lady Bay Pro-Am where I tied first with Glenn Joyner and Adam Bland - from December until April." He turned his fortunes around in a Papua New Guinea tournament where, after a bad final round, he finished runner-up.
On returning from a month's holiday in the United States with girlfriend Tammy Cleland, he carded a series of commendable finishes.
In Queensland he finished first equal, second equal, first and second to rocket to first place in the Order of Merit from 23rd position.
However, taking six weeks off meant he plummeted to the early 20s again but another month's flurry saw him whittle his standing down to seventh before having the rest of the year off.
Last week he failed to make the cut to the lucrative $US500,000 Jacob's Creek in Kooyonga, where only four players qualified after shooting five-under par scores. Holloway carded an even par 72.
This Saturday Holloway jets off to Christchurch to compete in the New Zealand PGA Championship at Clearwater, thanks to an automatic entry following his fourth place in the NZ PGA Tour order of merit last year after he won the Wairakei Pro-Am in September.
"I've never played Clearwater. I shot 72 and missed qualifying by three last year."
On Tuesday last week he was runner-up in the Martinborough Pro-Am but bounced back to clinch the Paraparaumu Pro-Am by a stroke.
The NZPGA Order of Merit is at an early stage but Marcus Wheelhouse holds top spot with $4174, followed by Holloway ($3933), Tim Wilkinson ($3350) and rookie Josh Geary ($3234).
"If I play really well in Clearwater they might give me a kick start to the Nationwide (in US). I also need some recognition there as most of them are experienced players and up-and-coming stars."
After Clearwater, Holloway will tee off in the Perry Aggregates Pro-Am in Hamilton and other Pro-Ams for a month before winging to PNG.
"If I get a bit of money then I'll have a kick start to Nationwide. It won't get me many starts in tournaments, except for a couple through invites, but I'll be able to play in pre-qualifying tournaments."
Trying to obtain professional tour cards last year through Qualifying Schools in the United States and Australia set him back by $NZ20,000.
"Apparently if you can come close to breaking even in your first two to three years then you're doing very well. Well, I'm just below by about $2500 and I'm happy with that. My parents (Te Pohue farmers Sonia and Lloyd) are also very proud of me."
Girlfriend Cleland is playing in a college tournament in Mexico and was among the leaders going into the final round overnight.
GOLF: Holloway upstages Queensland's best
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