GOLF - Clarke swinging way to Aussie tour card

A run of late birdies in tough conditions gave Whangarei golfer Dale Clarke the opportunity he has spent most of the year working towards.
Clarke made the cut by two shots on Friday at the Amstel Golf Club near Melbourne to go through to the final qualifying series in the 2008 PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School.
"It was some of the worst weather I've ever played in on the first two days but I managed, even though it was pretty windy on Friday, to hold it together and I made a few late birdies and in the end that was enough to get me through," Clarke said.
Clarke finished the second qualifying series on 10 over par, two shots ahead of the cut to make the final series, which will be held on the Peninsula Country Golf Club starting on December 16.
If he makes the top five in the four round tournament, that will feature 54 of the top amateur and professional golfers from the region, he will get a full tour card allowing him direct entry to all of the Australasian PGA events this summer.
That will be a tough cut to make given the talent of the field but there is a further carrot for the next 25 players, who are given PGA status and invited to play in 90 per cent of the PGA tournaments.
"There are two or three tournaments a week so if I can make the top 30, I'll be pretty busy and that's what I'm after."
Clarke left Whangarei in July to move to Melbourne chasing a career in golf. "I want to see if I can make a living from it and the long distance plans are still to get to America eventually."
Clarke said he'll be practicing hard for the tournament after he returns across the Tasman after a brief trip home this week to catch up with family and friends.