It’s tough out there on the fairways

LIFE in the professional ranks for local golfer Sean Bradley is proving to be a challenge.

To date he has failed to make an impression with missed cuts being the order of the day. A negative mindset brought on by a virus and a breakup with his girlfriend, along with missing short putts at vital stages has been his undoing.

There are signs of improvement though. A second-round five-under-par 67 during last week’s Fish River Sun Challenge was a step in the right direction. While he missed the cut, his round was the joint second-best.

“I had a four-foot putt on the last to make the cut, but the ball didn’t drop, so I missed out by one stroke, said Bradley, son of Wayne Bradley who had five wins on the Sunshine Tour in a career that began in 1986.

“While disappointed with another failed attempt to play out the whole tournament, the fact that I posted a low round on a tough course showed that I can hold my own.

“It’s just a matter of staying positive when things aren’t going the way you want them to and to keep on working and tweaking my all-round game, and to be more consistent.

“My putter, without a doubt, has let me down. I’m still a newbie at this level and will continue to grind away knowing that my time will come.

“I won’t be the first guy going through what I am.

“I got a call from former pro Roger Wessels on Thursday and he knows all about missing cuts.

“He congratulated me on my round and offered words of encouragement.

“Maybe be more aggressive rather than tentative is the way to go from now on.

“I believe that I can compete alongside the best golfers in the country, if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.”

“I see failure as an opportunity to grow,” Bradley added.

“The pro ranks present the opportunity to make a decent living, but you have to be playing well week in and week out just to make cuts.

“And I’m also relying on my dad for words of wisdom.

“His advice is priceless. He doesn’t paint a false dawn, he tells me that to make it requires total commitment and dedication.