KEY POINTS:
Josh Geary acknowledges he will not grow rich playing in Canada but the New Zealand golfer rightly points out that's beside the point.
All going well the young man knows his graduation on to the Canadian Tour will enrich him in so many more important ways.
He is
one of three New Zealanders to survive the tour's qualifying school which finished last weekend south of the border in California.
Joining him on the North American circuit this season will be Brad Heaven and Doug Batty, two fairly recent graduates of the United States collegiate system.
This season's Canadian schedule of 14 events, with two more awaiting confirmation, carries total prizemoney of about $2.2 million. Last year's Order of Merit winner, American Stephen Gangluff, earned all of $82,000 for his exertions.
But at this stage of Geary's career the money is of little consequence. Instead, he knows the promise of regular four-round competition is the key to any young golfer's passage towards manhood.
"The money's not so great but this tour is just really good for your game," Geary said before his debut as a carded player in the Canadian Tour's season-opening US$100,000 ($140,610) San Jose International Open starting at Boulder Ridge, California, on Friday.
"They play good golf courses and they set them up like a PGA Tour event. It's really good for getting yourself ready for the PGA Tour and a lot of guys go from there to the PGA Tour or the Nationwide Tour in the US.
"I am not worried about the money at the moment as long as I'm playing four-round events on a regular basis. Providing I can pay my way my main goal at this stage is to keep learning my trade.
"I just want to get by, make sure I survive, and get all the experience I can. Hopefully I'll be ready to step up to the big stuff in a few years time."
For Geary, the Canadian Tour represented an opportunity for the raw rookie to bed himself down as a fully fledged pro. He left the amateur ranks only in November and failed bids at the Australasian and Asian Tour qualifying schools had him fearing 2007 was going to amount to little more than building his game on the limited New Zealand circuit and a series of Pro-Ams.
Geary will return home this month for the $40,000 Tauranga Open in front of his home fans on April 26-29.
He won the tournament 12 months ago as an amateur by eight shots after crafting rounds of 63, 63, 70, and 66.
Now, Canada gives him the chance to transfer his talent on to a bigger stage, from which at some point he wants to step up to the US PGA Tour.
- NZPA