Golf: Turner closes door on professional golf career

Greg Turner has in all likelihood played his last round of golf as a tour professional.

The New Zealander signed his final card after shooting a five-under 67 in the closing round of the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum in Queensland yesterday.

Shortly after leaving the scorer's hut, Turner, 40, confirmed he is closing the door on his playing career.

He is loath to say he is retiring but there is no other conclusion to draw.

"I'm not saying never because you never know what's going to happen, but given the things I have happening, I don't think I'm going to have the time to do everything I want to do next year.

"I've come to the conclusion that what needs to go is the golf."

Turner left the paid ranks with his dignity intact by shooting in red figures yesterday, but the damage had been done earlier in the tournament and he finished well down the leaderboard on three-under 285.

"I went out there today thinking that if this is to be the last time I do it that it would be nice to have a positive memory."

He emphasised putting his playing career behind him was not a decision he made lightly.

"I've been thinking about it for a few weeks," said Turner, a pro since 1984 when he won the first of his 12 career titles at the New Zealand PGA Championship.

"It's a combination of factors. It looks like I'm going to be pretty busy with my golf course design company next year. There's also a couple of little projects that I have happening.

"I hadn't expected them all to come to fruition at once but it looks as if they will.

"I was hoping to play golf as well but one of the things that became apparent to me over the last couple of weeks is that while the body is still willing the mind is all over the place.

"There's too many things happening and I don't think I can do justice to them all. Something has to give.

"The other stuff I'm doing is more important than the playing side of things to be honest.

"I'm just not going to have the time to put as much effort and thought into playing as I think I need to if I'm to remain competitive.

"I've never wanted to be there just to be making up the numbers."

Turner, a regular on the European Tour since 1986, won four times on that continent as well as eight titles elsewhere, including the 1989 and 1998 New Zealand Open tournaments and the 1999 Australian PGA Championship.

His career earnings in Europe totalled €3.15 million ($5.9 million) and he signalled his intention to wind back his commitments there this year when he restricted himself to just 10 events.

He was a regular in New Zealand teams at the Dunhill Cup and World Cup events for many years, and appeared in the International team that won the President's Cup against the US in Australia in 1998.

"When push comes to shove I think I can look back and be pretty pleased with how I did. I'd be a miserable bugger to have too many regrets."

New Zealand Golf Association operations manager Phil Aickin said Turner would be missed.

"He proved today he can still play but his decision is maybe an example of what life as a golfer can be like.

"He's mainly played the European Tour. He has a young family and enjoys being home in Queenstown. At times the game is a very private and solo pursuit.

"I can only applaud his decision," said Aickin, a former amateur teammate of Turner's who shared a room with him at the University of Oklahoma in the United States for more than two years in the early 1980s.

"He's had a fine career but he's a very intelligent man who knows there certainly is more to life than playing golf."

- NZPA