Rumours have been dogging Sherwood Park Golfer Gary-John Hill recently, but one thing's for sure - he wants to add the prestigious Bream Bay Classic title to his CV, when the 72-hole tournament gets under way on Saturday.
The talented young golfer turned 21 last month and, after something of an
extended break from golf, has returned to the game with a fresh aim to turn pro in the next couple of years.
His brief absence from playing golf culminated in him taking a break to visit a friend in Perth for several weeks.
"When I got back, there was a story going around that I'd quit golf to play rugby league, I'm not sure how it got started but it was quite funny," he said.
Funny at the time. He didn't think anything of it until he received the news from Golf NZ selectors that he'd been axed from the Srixon High Performance Golf Academy.
"When I went away I didn't keep in contact with them (the selectors) and there was an academy camp that I missed and the selectors must have heard I'd quit," he said.
Hill is no longer on the outer with the national selectors, having been selected as a reserve for the academy team that is heading to Canada in September.
Hill is pretty happy with his golf at the moment and is confident he can do well at the Waipu golf course's biggest tournament of the season.
Most of the academy players will miss the tournament as they are attending a clinic this weekend - leaving Hill optimistic about his chances.
"I've been hoping to do well at the classic for a while now, so maybe this weekend's my big chance," he said.
He hasn't played at Waipu for two years and is looking forward to returning to play the links course.
The field is as strong as ever and has drawn the cream of the upper North Island's amateurs with an average handicap of between 1 and 2.
