Whangarei golfer stuns golfing world by making it to US Open

The name Doug Batty may ring a few bells  in Northland  but the unheralded golfer who this week qualified for the US Golf Open    remains a mystery to many Kiwis. 
Batty, 29, was born in Whangarei and developed his passion for golf  after joining the Northland Golf Club at the age of 13. It was there that a
 dream of playing in the US Open  took shape.
The ambitious Kiwi said he was  standing on the green at Saticoy Country Club in California when he learned that dream   had become a reality. His second-place finish in a four-way play-off for three spots  guaranteed his entry into the US Golf Open in New York next week.
"I was very, very stoked," Batty said, with a slight American twang.
 "Ever since day one I had the golf bug and as I slowly progressed through the ranks I dreamed of playing in the Open - it's the pinnacle for us," he said.
After learning the ropes at Northland Golf Club under the guidance of former Northland professional Doug Berry - who Batty called the "Mr Miagi of golf" after a character in the movie Karate Kid - the budding teen golfer was selected to represent Northland at junior and senior tournaments while attending Kamo High School.
"Some of my finest memories are from up North ... I made some awesome ties up there."
During the mid-90s, the Batty family moved to Auckland, where the teenager finished  his high schooling at Auckland Grammar, but he still represented Northland in tournaments before heading abroad, aged 20, after gaining a sports scholarship at the University of California.
He finished his studies at Toledo University and has been based in the US since.
Nearly three years ago, Batty turned professional and  spent the past two years playing on the Canadian Tour.
"I've been grinding away trying to keep my head above water. Luckily, I have a few sponsors who have kept me afloat.
"There's a fine line in this game - after one tournament you can become a superstar, or you can fall off the map."
This year, however, Batty has not been a regular on any of the world's tours, deciding instead to concentrate on "sneaking into events like this one".
He plans to play some events in New Zealand after the US Open but will stay based in the United States
 for the big tournaments, he said.
He has big ambitions for next week's Open in New York. "Physically my game is good. The tough part is the mental side. I will be playing in a new environment so I need to get as comfortable as soon as possible ... it will be an awesome experience - if I can do all of that I expect to do well."
Another tough ask at New York would be getting the  commentators to pronounce Whangarei correctly, Batty said.
Batty has asked his brother to be his caddy and he hoped his parents Mike and Judith, now based in Tauranga, would fly over for the tournament.
Doug's father Mike said it was an awesome thing for his son and while not many had heard of his son's talent, Doug's family were well aware of his gift.
"He had this dream - and he is one of the few lucky ones who turns dreams into reality - he always has."
Michael Campbell and David Smail are the other New Zealanders vying for some of the US$7.5 million (NZ$11.9 million) prize money. 
Danny Lee, Tim Wilkinson and Steve Alker missed out at their qualifiers in Ohio, Tennessee and Maryland respectively.