Lonard in push for Tour path

NEW dad Peter Lonard is hoping to use the next fortnight of Australian golf as a springboard to a new career path on the PGA Tour Champions.

It’s going to be a hectic time for one of the country’s most popular golfers.

Lonard, 50, will tee up in the NSW Open at Sydney’s Twin Creeks from today then try for a third Australian Open title at The Australian next week before jumping on a plane to the US the following Monday.

It means he will miss the Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast, an event he has won three times.

The PGA Tour Champions qualifying final stage in Phoenix starts on the Tuesday so there will be no practice round before he joins a field of about 150 battling for just five full cards – fortunately he recently scouted the course.

So he’s been working hard to get his game in peak shape for the fresh challenge?

Wrong. The birth of Lonard and wife Ali’s daughter Yvonne in September meant a new priority.

“I haven’t done any work at all,” Lonard said.

“I have a newborn at home ... so I have just snuck in a few practices here and there and that’s about it.”

Not that he’s complaining. “It’s a change of lifestyle but all very exciting,” he said.