GOLF
Mangawhai's Scott Wightman plans to ease himself into life as a golf professional after emerging from last week's NZPGA Q-School with a playing card.
The former Northland amateur No1 became one of the tour's eight new professionals after finishing in a five-way tie for third place at the Centennial Course
at Taupo on Friday.
Wightman scored 73 and 72 in his two rounds to join Hogan Cho (70 75), Pat Harold (72 73), Doug Millington (74 71) and Keiran Muir (71 74) on the playoff tee, to decide who would join winner Joonsang Chung and second-placed Pieter Zwart earn full PGA playing privileges at the tournament.
All five players parred the first playoff hole and it was on to the par-five second. Harold and Wightman were the only players in contention after their second shots with Harold finally taking out the spot with a tap-in birdie.
Chung, Zwart and Harold are now guaranteed starts at all PGA events this season while Wightman and the others will have to get some results to gain entry into some of the bigger tournaments like the $100,000 Brian Perry Classic.
While disappointed in his form during the tournament, Wightman is relieved to finally get his professional career under way.
"I'm pleased to get my card, even though I didn't play fantastically down in Taupo - I still got the job done - and now I've got the chance that I've been waiting for," he said.
Wightman will play a series of four pro-ams around the Wellington region in early February and is hoping to make up for the near-miss at getting his full card by earning valuable NZPGA Order of Merit points.
"If I can have a couple of good results then I can still get entry into the big tournaments like the Brian Perry Classic and the big Charles Tour events," he said.
"So to start with I'm out to earn a few bucks and try to raise my status on the order of merit board."
The 24-year-old knows it won't be easy to do in his first season but feels it's the right time to try his luck as a professional.
