KEY POINTS:
By the standards of most weeks, the last few days have produced some hugely encouraging news for this country's touring professionals.
Ok, so Cambo missed another cut in Singapore and is now outside the top 150 in the world and neither Gareth Paddison nor Tim Wilkinson could finish high enough up their respective second tier Tour money lists to get promotion to the big times of Europe and the PGA Tour in America. But bubbling away is an emerging class of player from which someone might emerge to become the next New Zealander to crack the top 100.
Top of this list is Mark Brown. The Wellingtonian last week had his biggest pay day by finishing tied for 8th in an absolutely world class field in Singapore. In the process he beat Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Nick O'Hern, KJ Choi and Charles Howell III. There was also the matter of US$89,066. More importantly, he proved again that he can mix it with the best in the game.
Significantly, this was Brown's third consecutive top 10 finish. He'd been 5th at the Indian Open and 8th in an Indonesian tournament in the previous two stops on the Asian Tour. Now he's 23rd on the money list there with US$156,481 and guaranteed playing rights next year. Add the US$19,579 he took for 6th equal at the New Zealand PGA Championship in February and a few thousand New Zealand dollars from various events in this country and the 32-year-old, for the first time in his life, has some money in the bank to invest in his game at the next level in Europe and the US.
You can't help but think the guy deserves every cent he's made this year. During the worst of this dreadful Auckland winter, I often ran into Brownie on the practice range at Remuera. In the wind and the cold and the rain, during breaks from the Asian Tour, he was down there pounding balls and grooving his swing to a stage where it would hold together under the pressure of being on the leaderboard on Sunday afternoons.
Having it hold together three tournaments in a row, especially in Singapore where there was huge money on the line, must have given him immense satisfaction and confidence that he can do it again and often.
There's also been encouraging news from the first stage of the US PGA Tour qualifying school. When the six stage two events start this Thursday, there'll be five Kiwi hopefuls joining the experienced Phil Tataurangi, Grant Waite and Tim Wilkinson looking for a place in the final stage next month.
While the progression of Bradley Iles, Doug Holloway and Brad Heaven might have been expected because of their past record, having Josh Carmichael and Mike Hendry there too is a very pleasant surprise.
They're both from the North Harbour area and neither had especially distinguished amateur careers. But they've been part of a group backed by the Blue Chip company founder Mark Bryers. He's paying them a healthy salary and covered their expenses to the qualifying school.
While Bryers and his company are, according to the financial press, under some pressure, his investment in these golfers is going well so far.
I've played a few rounds with Carmichael in the last few months. In the company of club amateurs, he can look pretty ordinary and watching him up close, I'd have given him little chance of getting very far at the Q School. But this guy, who shot 24 under to win the Tahiti Open in August, seems to have developed a very useful skill as a professional golfer. The higher the stakes, the better he plays. When you're chasing a dream to reach the major league, you wouldn't want it any other way.
