Cane aims high at Heretaunga

When Jonathan Cane hung up his golf clubs in 2002 he waved goodbye to a potential pro career and a shot at playing a major tournament.

Now, a couple of years short of his 40th birthday, the chance to play the US Masters is not as fanciful as it was then for the Wellington No 1 and rep captain.

It’s a long drive from Golf Road, Heretaunga, to Magnolia Lane, Augusta, but Cane and the country’s other leading players will have a similar distant dream when the New Zealand Amateur Championship tees off at Royal Wellington on Wednesday.

In a year’s time the same course will host the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship with 10 spots open to New Zealanders chasing the ultimate prize of a Masters berth. Australian Curtis Luck won in South Korea this month and snared the latest personal invitation from Augusta National chairman Billy Payne.

Cane represented his country and won three interprovincial titles with Wellington, but quit golf for a decade before dusting off the clubs again in 2013.

He works fulltime for ANZ as a settlement control officer, has two children aged 13 and six and still ranks among the country’s best. Exhibit A: his playoff defeat to New Zealand’s No 1 Luke Toomey in the national strokeplay in March.

Cane was among 15 possibles invited by New Zealand Golf to Heretaunga last weekend for a briefing with course re-designer Greg Turner to begin planning for next year’s big one. Having received that vote of confidence, Cane is committed to claiming one of those 10 spots on his home track. This week is an early chance to impress, but form in the big events over the next 8-10 months will be the key with Asia-Pacific spots to be decided largely on world amateur rankings. On the current New Zealand order of merit, headed by Eisenhower Trophy rep Ryan Chisnall, Cane sits 10th.

In March he led the national strokeplay in Christchurch by three shots entering the final round before Toomey roared home to draw level then win the two-hole playoff.

‘His rivals this week include his 18-year-old Wellington team-mate Daniel Hillier who defends his title after becoming the tournament’s youngest winner last year.

Only nine men have gone back to back in the tournament’s 123-year history, with Australian Matt Jager the last in 2009-2010.