Golf: Cambo's success inspires local pro

After winning in Fiji, Grant Moorhead will be hoping to continue the trend in Taranaki next week. Chris McGrath / Getty Images

Taranaki professional Grant Moorhead could be excused if he had a love-hate relationship with Fiji, where he has just won the PGA championship.

The 35-year-old from New Plymouth was on something of a roll 10 years ago with victories in the Tahiti Open and the Denarau Open at Nadi. But he picked up a life-threatening disease in Fiji and has struggled since then to emulate the feats of his team-mates from the Eisenhower-winning amateur team of 1992.

But as he prepares for the Olex Taranaki Open next week, Moorhead is positive about his game and his prospects. He lies third on the NZPGA order of merit after victories at Rotorua, Mangawhai and Terrace Downs.

Back at Denarau last month he was four under for his one-stroke victory in the Fiji PGA championship.

"I've spent the last two or three years piecing my game together again and I'm pretty happy where I'm at right now," he says. "I've still got aspirations as a tournament pro.

"For three or four years I got by because I had a good performance every so often and that overshadowed the problems. But in 2000-2001 my game fell apart and getting it right has been a long grind."

Soon after the Taranaki Open Moorhead will fly to the United States, where he will play in the first stage of the three-stage qualifier for the US PGA tour.

"I'm going to give it a decent shake," he says. "I've played a few Von Nida tournaments in Australia but, to be honest, it's hardly worth it. The travel costs are high and it's not as if you've got a whole lot of tournaments one after the other.

"It's not much better if you qualify for the Australasian tour because you don't get many starts. If I'm in the top four on the NZPGA rankings, that should give me a start in the PGA in Christchurch."

While working on his own game, Moorhead has been completing the bridging course, which will qualify him as a coach when he gives up the tournament trail. But his ambitions have been sharpened by Eisenhower team-mate Michael Campbell's marvellous run of form.

"As you get older you realise that in golf it's a pretty fine line between success and failure and at any time you can break through. Look at Michael. He had to qualify for the US Open and he went on and won it.

"And his results since then have shown that he's not going to be a one-shot wonder. He always was a streaky putter but his putting has been incredible and his technique is so good."

The $40,000 Taranaki Open at the New Plymouth Golf Club's Ngamotu course has drawn entries from eight of the top 10 pros on the NZPGA order of merit and most of the country's top men and women amateurs.

Among the pros will be last year's winner, Ryan Haywood, and the runner-up, Mark Brown, as well as Marcus Wheelhouse and Steve Gordon, who have been campaigning in the US. Two women professionals, Pam Sowden and Claire Hunter, have entered.

Local favourite is Troy Ropiha, who recently won the Wanganui Open.

A big field will play a pro-am on Wednesday.

NZ Order of Merit

1 Tony Christie 100pts
2 Steven Gordon 97
3 Grant Moorhead 94
4 Guy Penrose 89
5 Nicholas Davey 86
6 Hamish Robertson 69
7 Stuart Thompson 66
8 Brad Shilton 62
9 Marcus Wheelhouse 58
10 Mark Brown 55