Golf: Iles' laidback approach to tournament

New Zealand golf representative Brad Iles, who survived a life-threatening fall from a golf cart in the United States six months ago, regards his comeback event as "just another tournament".

Iles tees off today along with 179 hopefuls from Australia and New Zealand, in quest of the national under-23 men's strokeplay title on the Bridge Pa course at the Hastings Golf Club.

Iles fractured his skull when he fell from a golf cart after competing in the Players' Amateur tournament in South Carolina in July and had brain surgery in a United States hospital to remove a blood clot.

He convalesced there for about five weeks before returning home.

That serious mishap ended Iles' aspirations for 2004, but he used the second half of the year to rehabilitate and he is taking a laidback approach to the new year.

"I've been asked many times whether I'm excited about my comeback but I'm not really. The last six months went quickly and to me this is the start of another season and this is just another tournament."

However, Iles will not want for serious competition on his much-awaited return to top-class amateur golf. The plus 2.9 handicapper from Wellington's Manor Park club is just one of 32 players on a plus handicap, with the highest handicap being 4.7.

The field of 180 will play one round today and another tomorrow, with 72 players making the cut for the final 36 holes on Saturday.

Waikato players should have a strong say on the final day, with Mark Purser (Hamilton), Mathew Holten (Te Aroha) and Richard Wright (Matamata) all in excellent touch as they helped their province to win the national under-23 team title at Taupo on Tuesday. They were the top three individuals as Waikato romped to a 22-shot victory.

And the strong New South Wales team which lost their title to Waikato will want revenge.

One of their number, James Nitties, now making waves as a professional, won the stroke-play title last year by four shots from fellow New South Welshman Mitchell Brown and Jae An (Springfield).

An, winner of the Aaron Baddeley world junior 72-hole strokeplay event in Fiji recently, and Bay of Plenty team-mates, Josh Geary (Mt Maunganui) and Sam Hunt (Rotorua), back from his United States college in Nevada, will start among the favourites for the title.

- NZPA