Australian Nick Flanagan, the 2003 United States amateur champion, is one of 60 golfers seeking the final four places in the New Zealand PGA Championship starting in Christchurch next Thursday.
Fifty-eight professionals, mostly those who have been playing on the secondary Von Nida Tour in Australia, and two amateurs will contest the final qualifying round over 18 holes on the Christchurch Golf Club's Shirley course on Tuesday.
Flanagan was considered the next big thing in Australian golf when he won a playoff to claim the US amateur crown two years ago.
His third placing, while still an amateur, to Englishmen Brian Davis and Paul Casey in the ANZ Championship at the Horizons in New South Wales 12 months ago further fuelled that type of talk.
But Flanagan's entry into the professional ranks soon after was anything but a dream start.
The Newcastle rookie received invites into three of the four majors - the Masters, the US Open and the British Open - but missed the cut in all three.
Flanagan, now 21, went on to miss nine cuts in 10 tournaments before finishing tied for 18th at the end-of-season 2004 Australasian PGA Tour qualifying school.
Other Australians who earned their full Australasian Tour cards at that school who have to try and qualify for the New Zealand PGA Championship are Chris Travers, tennis star Scott Draper, Neil Sarkies, Matthew Woods, Peter Wilson, Robert Curtis, Eric Egloff, Brendan Chant, Ed Stedman, and Adam Le Vesconte.
New Zealanders Marcus Wheelhouse and Guy Penrose are also in that category.
South African-born, England based Jon Le Roux, who contested the New Zealand Open at Gulf Harbour near Auckland this month after pre-qualifying, has to try and do that again.
New Zealand professionals who will be at Shirley include Stephen Gordon, top qualifier at the final pre-qualifying event for the New Zealand Open, Brad Shilton, Clarke Osborne, Martin Pettigrew and Carl Brooking.
- NZPA
Golf: Flanagan among NZ PGA hopefuls
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