Golf: Greenbacks in Orange County

Tournament winners are usually keen to revisit the scene of their triumph the following year, but Englishman Brian Davis is very happy not to be the defending champion in Florida next week.

Davis won US$50,000 ($72,000) last season as top qualifier in the 108-hole marathon that sorts out the 30 players who will graduate to the main United States PGA tour. The prizemoney is a pittance compared with the value of playing rights on the world's richest tournament schedule.

The Englishman will not be back at the Panther Lake and Crooked Cat courses in Orange County for this year's test. He finished 98th on the USPGA money list to keep his card for next year.

Reaching the final stage of qualifying in itself involves something of a marathon, with players joining in at various stages depending on their credentials. By the finals stage some will have already come through two elimination tournaments.

New Zealand's four survivors, Steve Alker, Tim Wilkinson, Grant Waite and Michael Long, joined at the second stage and came through with strong performances. Brad Heaven, who had already scraped through the first stage, was not so lucky.

The Kiwis and 55 other players from the second stage advance to Florida, where they will be joined by players who finished between 125th and 150th on the USPGA money list, those 21-35 on the Nationwide tour list, some temporary members of the main tour and eligible players from the top of the European, Japanese, Asian and Australasian tours.

The qualification process is not without cost: entry at the first stage costs $4500, at the second $4000 and at the final $3500. There is prizemoney at the final, but that pales into insignificance compared with the potential value of the tour cards awarded to the top 30 players and ties.

The next 50 earn exempt status on the Nationwide tour, which was the reward Wilkinson earned last year after progressing right through the qualification process.

The difference in prizemoney between the two tours is huge. Davis earned US$854,460 for his 98th place on the main tour. The biggest Nationwide earner, Troy Matteson, pocketed US$495,009 and the 98th, Matthew Jones, US$44,976.

Competitors in the interprovincial championships at Titirangi may be the best amateurs in the country, but they are unlikely to match the feat of a well-known rugby player at the course.

A couple of weeks ago, former All Black and Blues player Dylan Mika had a hole in one on the eighth - a 310m dog-legged par four. The well-bunkered hole is not long but is guarded on one side by tall trees and on the other by a creek.

The North Harbour Golf Association has appointed Andrew Levantis as executive officer to replace the long-serving Ann Cambie, who is retiring.

Levantis, who played pennants for Pakuranga, was awarded a PJ Boatwright internship with the Texas Golf Association for 12 months. In that time he was involved in various aspects of golf, working at the Shell Houston Open, the Spirit International Tournament and American college events.