Golf: Geary plays career master stroke

Josh Geary. Photo / Bay Of Plenty Times

Tauranga professional golfer Josh Geary had hit the crossroads in his career when he decided to commit full time to the China Tour this year.

That decision has been a master stroke for the 30-year-old.

On Sunday, Geary won the Yulongwan Yunnan Open, his third victory from seven starts on the tour to take his earnings to 499,423 yuan ($121,900). Geary's final round included a hole-in-one, his first in a professional event and sixth in his career

Winning the China Tour's order of merit would give him a full card on next year's Web.com Tour, where he played in 2011. Geary is well placed to do so with seven tournaments left to play.

"I would like to finish No 1 because that means a full card," Geary said. "I know how hard it is with conditional status. Nothing is guaranteed. With a full card, maybe you'll be a little more relaxed about playing well early.

"I'm looking forward to using this Tour as a springboard for next year. It's been good so far. I want to keep playing against these good players on some good golf courses. It's a great step for me between here and the Web.com Tour."

Geary admits he went through a tough time mentally after his US dreams imploded in 2012. "It was a lonely, depressing and expensive place I found myself in for a few months but through sheer hard work and determination I managed to slowly claw myself out of that hole and basically bring me to where I am today."

The turnaround began with winning the Western Australian Open at the end of 2013.

"It was probably the biggest victory of my career and I really proved to myself that all the hard work I had put in and the things that I had been experimenting with were working."

But financially he was not out of the rough. In January last year, he hosted a fundraising tournament at the Fairview Golf Club to help with travel, coaching, physio, physical training and all the other costs involved with playing professional golf.

Nailing one of the two playing spots on the New Zealand team at next year's Olympics is another major goal. With former Bay of Plenty teammate Danny Lee assured of one spot, the competition to join him in Rio is intense.

Geary will tee it up on the OneAsia Tour at the Fiji International next week, with USPGA Tour stars Matt Kuchar and Vijay Singh. Omokoroa's Keiran Muir is also confirmed after leading the first three rounds at the Taranaki Open on the Jennian Homes Charles Tour, before fading on Sunday. Tauranga's Dean Sipson caused a sensation by acing the par three, 6th hole twice during the tournament.