Iles of smiles when Bradley's in town

Bradley Iles

He may have turned professional, played in the PGA and come 6th in a Masters just 17 months after he fractured his skull falling off a golf cart. Michael Campbell might call him "the best talent to come out of New Zealand in a long time" but when it comes down to it, Bradley Iles, 22, could forge a second career as a clown.

He has an investment plan worked out. When he plays at the Johnnie Walker classic in Perth in February, every player gets a bottle of Green Label Johnnie Walker.

"They're really rare, and worth a lot. So it will be on Trade Me when I get home."

In the meantime, all he wants for Christmas, he says, is "some jandals. And maybe a singlet. And one of those back flap hats. It's coming in, I tell you. They're the new age mullet."

The 2003 New Zealand Golfer of the Year, Iles fractured his skull and was in a coma for three days after falling off a golf cart in South Carolina, America, in July 2004 while out looking for alligators with friends.

This week he was visiting his old Rotorua Boys High School golf team mate Samuel Hunt, fresh back from Australia, where Iles debuted as a professional in the Australian PGA.

He followed up his debut by winning $45,000 for finishing sixth equal at the Australian Masters in Melbourne.

It was his second start as a professional after Michael Campbell got him what he calls a "lucky break" by asking for Iles to be invited to the PGA.

"Without that, I wouldn't have got out of the blocks. I'd still have one foot in them. I was just lucky and had a lot of opportunities and was able to rise to the occasion when I needed to."

The experience, he says, was priceless. "It's like a watch your grandfather gave you that he wore in World War I. It's priceless. You wouldn't sell it for anything."

He played with Campbell at the PGA.

Iles' success came after a few months of "playing like crap" at the start of the year, before he won the North Island 2005 Amateur championships.

Ask how his head is and he says "still ugly" before he gets serious. Kind of.

"I still have a pretty bad memory but the lights are on and I think I'm home at least half the time."