Golf: Iles on brink of graduating to big stage

Kiwi golfer Brad Iles is currently 25th on the Nationwide Tour moneylist. Photo / Getty Images

Brad Iles is taking a break from his day job as a touring golf professional to holiday at home, a mid-winter sojourn which will involve more hitting of small, white, dimpled balls.

The 25-year-old arrived at his parents' home at Papamoa in Bay of Plenty yesterday, planning to put his feet up for four days before heading to Auckland to collect a good mate, Grant Buchanan.

The pair are to hire a campervan next week and tour the North Island as they drive to Wellington, stopping regularly despite the chilly weather to play golf and find time to exercise.

"He's a boxer and we are going to do some boxing training and dune runs when we are not playing golf," Iles said.

It is Iles' way of relaxing before the most important four months of his career as he bids to nail down a place on next year's PGA Tour in the United States.

He promises to earn promotion from the secondary Nationwide Tour providing he maintains the sort of form which has lifted him to 25th place on that circuit's moneylist with income of US$84,048 ($132,170) after nine appearances.

If he can maintain or improve his position by season's end, Iles will be on the PGA Tour in 2010, an elevation which carries with it potential riches.

He is in effect a handful of top performances away from joining compatriot Tim Wilkinson on the sport's biggest stage, where the purses, crowds, hype and pressures are magnified 20-fold compared to what Iles has experienced to date.

A second season Nationwide player, Iles is sure he can get the business done. He can feel it in his young bones.

"I will need one win and one top three, or five top threes. I know what I have to do, I need to earn at least US$210,000.

"I am very confident I can do that. I feel like I can do it. To do it I will have to be 100 per cent on the game very day. I will need to do all the physical and mental training, train hard, and spend plenty of time in the gym."

He is confident that off-course work will be rewarded with success on-course.

"I am exactly where I want to be."

After playing five tournaments in as many weeks, Iles' mind and body need a period of rest and recreation.

He felt as if he should have achieved a breakthrough victory at last week's Nationwide Tour Players Cup in West Virginia when he surged into the first round lead after shooting a seven-under-par 65. His game then imploded, rounds of 76, 72 and 78 leaving him a distant 59th equal.

"My game fell to pieces, it got worse and worse as the tournament dragged on. By the time my final putt fell on the final day I knew I had to have a break.

"I needed to get out of the game for a few weeks. I'd been so into it, mentally and physically, I was exhausted. I had come to the end of my hot run.

"I need to refresh, come back in and build my way into another hot run when I can secure my card for next year."

His heavy playing schedule of recent times came as a welcome relief for Iles, who only three months ago was $20,000 in debt and scrapping it out in Monday qualifiers, wrestling fields of 100 and more for seven precious starting positions for that week's tour event.

The turning point for his season came at the Monday pre-qualifier for the South Georgia Classic in April, when he won a seven-man playoff for one spot into the tournament proper.

He did not waste the opportunity either, finishing in a tie for sixth and pocketing US$21,000 to earn his tour status.

Six tournaments later Iles now has two top-10 results beside his name, including a best of second at the Knoxville Open when he shot a 20-under 268.

His improved fortunes owe much to a decision he made in early April to swear off alcohol.

Iles and his New Zealand caddie Sam Pinder made a mutual pact to stay off the grog, and one result of that has been a newly found clarity of thought.

He had two cans of beer in the company of family and friends last night, but Iles' drinking days appear in the past.

"I only had two cans and then I felt pretty pissed. I don't get into drinking too much any more. I think I did too much of that in my amateur days.

"I'm past that now. Giving it away was tough at the start but in time it just became part of my routine and lifestyle, and I enjoy it now.

"I don't really like getting so pissed that I don't know what I'm doing. I don't want to lead an airy fairy lifestyle, I'd prefer to have some structure to my life."

Pinder's participation in the pact has had benefits for the caddie also.

" He doesn't mind a drop and he's not much of an athlete," Iles said.

"But I told him if he didn't touch a drop of alcohol and started training, and going to the gym every day with me , that I would shout him an air ticket home providing I earned $20,000 by the end of June."

Fifteen events remained on the tour calendar and Iles intended competing in 14 of them.

He knows an opportunity has come knocking, and he must be in a position and the right frame of mind to answer the door.

- NZPA