By Graham Skellern
A wiser and more experienced Stephen Gordon (Redwood Park) has his eye on a major British amateur golfing title when he leaves on his second campaign early next week.
Gordon, the North Harbour No 1 and New Zealand representative, played in Britain for the first time last year and had some success by winning a county tournament in Cambridgeshire.
He is even more confident second time around. "Every event over there has a top class field; they can all play and you can't afford to make any mistakes.
"But the tournaments and conditions will be alot more familiar and it should be a little easier. I know what to expect and I'm bursting to get over there," said Gordon, who will be based at Cambridge and has the use of three local courses for practice free of charge.
He will be joined at some of the tournaments, including the British Amateur, by fellow New Zealanders Mahal Pearce and Gerard Fisher, both from Wellington.
Gordon tees up first in the British Amateur Championship at Royal County Down near Belfast from May 31 to June 5. A field of around 280 golfers, including leading Americans, Europeans and Australians, will contest two strokeplay qualifying rounds, and Gordon will have to make the top 64 to proceed to the matchplay phase.
He will then contest the Midland Open near Birmingham, the Scottish strokeplay at St Andrews and the East of Scotland strokeplay, as well as attempting to qualify for the British Open at Carnoustie.
Gordon intends returning for the August/September swing of tournaments at home with the aim of maintaining his position in the New Zealand team for the Asia Pacific Teams Championship in Pakistan in October and the Southern Cross Trophy in Argentina the following month.
Gordon, Pearce and Fisher were yesterday named in the new Titleist Academy's senior players' graduate team, along with other current national representatives, Richard Best, Chris Johns and Mahal Pearce.
Two more senior representatives Eddie Burgess and Carl Brooking are part of the 12-man elite team which also includes Northland's Doug Batty, Auckland's Brad Heaven, Waikato's Glenn Millin and Brad Shilton, and the NZ strokeplay titleholder and Queensland Matchplay champion Gareth Paddison (Wellington), all promoted from last year's junior squad.
Logan Holzer's recent good form - including leading The Grange to the national inter-club title - has earned him a spot in the elite team for the first time, as does Tauranga's Matthew Jupp.
North Harbour's talented 15-year-old Matthew Bray gains recognition by winning selection in the junior team, along with Mathew Holten and Jason Walters (Waikato) and Jason McIntosh (Bay of Plenty).
Golf: Gordon attacks British tourneys
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.