GOLF - Gary-John won't be singing the blues in deep South

It's so-long Sherwood Park and hello Bourbon Street for Whangarei's Gary-John Hill as he prepares to take up a golfing scholarship in the United States.
Hill will attend Southeastern Louisiana University, a state-funded public university located in Hammond, Louisiana - only 80km northwest of the famous nightlife offered in New Orleans' historic French quarter.
The 20-year-old golfer doesn't know too much about events such as Mardi Gras and Jazz Festival that draw millions of visitors to the city every year but he will have his chance when he gets there.
"It's going to be pretty cool living there, I think. All my mates are already putting their hands up for a place to crash so it could be quite popular," he said.
Hill will study business management while playing golf for the university team, a "top-50" college team nicknamed the Lions. He was first approached about a scholarship when he attended the Spirit International Golf Tournament last year in Texas, one of a number of overseas trips he has made as one of the country's top amateurs.
"When I went to Texas last year, their coach was there recruiting and he emailed New Zealand Golf and said he wanted me to play for their college team," Hill said.
Hill will join promising South African amateur Matthew Carvel as the second overseas player on the team roster and said he was excited about the opportunity.
"It's going to be a big learning curve for me, I've looked at pictures of the campus and it looks pretty cool, it seems like a huge university," he said.
Hill will start the spring term on August 17 and will live rent-free in university apartments on campus - all part of the scholarship perks at the university of around 17,000 students.
And while it's still pretty new for him, the attractions of nearby New Orleans will play second fiddle to his education and to his primary mission - golf.
The scholarship gives him a great opportunity to familiarise himself with American golf courses and eventually try and qualify for the lucrative American PGA tour.