Golf: Josh geared for winning Bay farewell

Josh Geary has fond memories of Tauranga, winning the under-23 Tauranga Masters there earlier this year. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Josh Geary isn't fazed by the top field assembled for this week's Tauranga Open.

The Mt Maunganui amateur star is fresh from a week off following his success in the recent Sir Michael Bonnallack Trophy for Asia-Pacific against Europe in Auckland.

In what could be his last big local tournament as an amateur before turning professional later this year, Geary was eyeing a fitting farewell at the four-day event at Tauranga Golf Club.

"My aim is to win this event, which won't be easy because it is a really strong field," Geary said.

"This is a step up from a normal amateur event and more like the competition you have in top amateur tournaments overseas.

"I don't get fazed by playing professionals. I knew most of them when they were amateurs."

While Geary started at the nearby Otumoetai Golf Club and is now a member at Mt Maunganui, he's got fond memories of Tauranga. He won the annual under-23 Tauranga Masters there earlier this year, and two years earlier set the course alight when he won the same event with a record 22-under that sparked his rise to prominence on the national scene.

There are an array of top amateurs in the tournament, including Mark Purser (Hamilton), New Zealand under-23 champion Danny Lee (Rotorua), explosive Aucklander Travis O'Connell, international Richard Wright (Matamata) and Titleist academy players Leighton James and Scott Wightman (both Auckland) and Andrew Stewart (Tauranga).

There will also be a wary eye out for Tauranga's Eddie Burgess, the course record-holder, now back in the Bay of Plenty amateur team after a stint in the professional ranks.

The $40,000 tournament is run by Golf Tour New Zealand, established by professional Greg Turner to provide opportunities to young New Zealand professionals and to raise the bar for leading amateurs, men and women.

The tournament has attracted a capacity field of 50 professionals and 50 elite amateurs, both men and women.

Turner said he was confident of announcing further GTNZ events which will form a key part of his recently announced Wedge programme, an initiative to facilitate, mentor and fund young professional New Zealand golfers.

Geary is a possible candidate to join the programme, although he is not getting too far ahead of himself.

He is planning a second tour to play in major North American tournament from June to August before returning to push his claim for selection in the New Zealand team for October's Eisenhower Trophy world teams championship in South Africa.

Leading women include national under-21 champion Jo Soo Oh (Taranaki), Sarah Bradley (Cambridge), sixth in the recent Malaysian Amateur Championship, and Titleist Academy players Dana Kim (Christchurch) and Zoe-Beth Brake (Bay of Plenty).

The professionals in the men's section include four of the top 10 NZPGA order of merit players Mark Brown (Wellington), Michael Hendry (North Harbour), Guy Penrose (Waikato) and Martin Pettigrew (Wellington).

- BAY of PLENTY TIMES