Ikin preparing for step onto PGA stage
Photo: Kevin Farmer
GOLF: Former rugby league star Ben Ikin will be both a playing attraction and excited spectator when he makes his tournament debut in this week’s Coca-Cola Queensland PGA Championship at City Golf Club.
Ikin has won an invite to line up with some of Australia’s leading amateurs to tackle a tip-top field of touring professionals in the 2019 tournament hitting off tomorrow morning.
Ikin earned a championship invitation after refining his game and shaving his handicap to 1.7 late last year under coach Matt Guyatt.
This year’s marquee PGA player line-up includes Australian golf legend Peter Senior who also happens to be Ikin’s favourite all-time player.
“My favourite golfer of all time is Peter Senior,” Ikin said yesterday during a cross-promotion at Clive Berghofer Stadium of this week’s tournament and the weekend’s Indigenous All Stars v South West Emus rugby league game.
“I kind of agreed to be part of this and then I qualified, so I’m super excited.
“I’ve had the chance to play with Peter Senior a couple of times in Pro-Ams and to know now he’s going to be part of the tournament as well is pretty special for me.
“As a matter of fact I’m pretty keen to play my round, then jump out and watch Peter ply his trade.”
Ikin is bracing himself for his appearance on the big stage of another kind where he will have as his caddy former rugby league team-mate Ben Walker.
“I haven’t played a hell of a lot of golf up here in Toowoomba, but the rounds I’ve played more recently have been okay,” Ikin said.
“But I know I’m going to have to be much better to keep pace with the best in Queensland, for sure.
“The cross-over between professional rugby league and this whole golf thing has been interesting for me.
“The truth is I’m not going to be as good as the other guys I’m competing against or playing with so I’m going to manage my way around the course and block out the noise.
“I’m going to have to be beyond my best but hopefully the golfing fairies will be on my side.”