REGION’S TOP GOLFERS DRIVE FOR CITY OF CAIRNS OPEN SUCCESS
Golfer in competitive mood after surgery
YOUNG gun Max Ford will be out to challenge the region’s established golf stars when the City of Cairns Open tees off at Cairns Golf Club today. The 15-year-old has been honing his skills in weekly pennant play at Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane to be in the frame for a title win in the 54-hole stroke play event. “I’ve obviously got a good chance of winning it this year, compared to last year when I wasn’t at that standard just yet,” he said. “I feel like I’m at the standard now where I can actually maybe even win it. “If I don’t win, I don’t win. If I win, it’s a bonus.” While Ford has high hopes he can challenge the likes of favourite and recent Cairns Open winner Matt Spilsbury, he will have to keep his wits about him in a group with Nick Cherry. The 31-year-old rates himself a “genuine non-chance” just three rounds back from bilateral knee replacements but has plans to get into the head of the wisecracking Bayview Heights youngster.
NICK Cherry says he’s no chance to feature near the top of the tree in the City of Cairns Open but if by some miracle he does, he’s equipped for the pressure better than most.
The 31-year-old once dealt with life-and-death situations as a navy paramedic and that’s exactly why he takes to the fairways as often as possible.
But after a medical discharge due to “bad knees” in December last year, it’s a won- der the man-mountain will be on the course at all over the next three days.
Cherry was almost lost to golf after a failed knee surgery in May 2015, which eventually cost him his career, but Dr Ben Parkinson came to his rescue in April this year to put him back on his feet.
The Mt Sheridan resident will say he’s happy just to be above ground but when he steps on the course today, it will be a different story, even if it is just his third game back after recovering from surgery.
You only need to look back to the 2016 Invictus Games – where Cherry won gold in shot put and discus – to see what he can do when he unleashes the competitive beast within.
“I’ve lost a lot of distance since the surgery so that will be fun when that comes back,” he said. “But I’ve always been competitive. It’s no different on the golf course.
“If all goes well I could have three miraculous days and take the trophy home, but I’ve only been back three weeks.”
Cherry said he would relish the chance to play alongside Max Ford and might well be helping to take the young gun out of contention.
“I want to win as much as the next bloke,” he said. “If I can take a little bit of matchplay format and try to get into the other blokes’ heads, then why not?
“I’ve got a few years of the mental aspect of the game on Max. He’s a very good golfer, but he’s young. It’s very easy to get into Max’s head.”
The 54-hole stroke-play event tees off today and runs through until Sunday.