Golf: Whanganui's Bradley Wallis gets PGA membership to go pro

Bradley Wallis is now an accredited PGA member.

Wanganui Collegiate old boy Bradley Wallis will soon be picking up the pro card as he looks to make golf his fulltime career, starting with a new job at the prestigious Royal Wellington Golf Club.

The 21-year-old, who celebrated his birthday at New Years, has spent the last three years on a partial golf scholarship to Patrick Henry College in Virginia.

He has now decided to stay home and become an accredited PGA member, and will start working at Royal Wellington on February 1.

"I work for three years as a trainee, then turn pro after that," he said.

"Closer to home, I was doing a business degree [at Patrick Henry], and then spent four months working at something I wasn't enjoying."

Nonetheless, it had been a valuable experience playing NCAA Division III level golf in the United States.

"There were a lot more people than what we have over here, so the competition was much stronger," Wallis said.

"Just getting to play as part of a team was a different experience."

As part of his professional trainee requirements, Wallis must work for at least 32 hours a week at a golf club, and his role at Royal Wellington will see him working under the club's professionals, specifically Head Professional Scott Puddick.

"I work under all three of them, but Scott will be my mentor," Wallis said.

"This is my working at a golf club, it's a proper job there."

He will follow in the footsteps of ex-pat Whanganui professional Nick Gillespie, another to come out the Wanganui Golf Club.

While Wallis will dream of touring the world like fellow New Zealanders Danny Lee and Ryan Fox, ideally he just wants to make golf his fulltime profession, having his eye on also getting into coaching.

"I would like to give playing a go, but I would like to coach as well, and to coach after that [career]."