Professional golf one of the toughest sporting gigs around
Professional golfers slogging away on New Zealand’s domestic circuit deserve medals of some sort just for sticking at it. While the sport for amateurs and recreational swingers is booming, it takes a special kind of person to follow the paid path.
Take Tyler Hodge, the New Zealand Super 6s winner at the Manawatū Golf Club on Sunday. More than two decades ago, he came to my attention as one of many talents to emerge from the now deceased Hokio Sands 9-hole course not far from the Levin course at Moutere.
As a 3-year-old, Tyler was pushed around Hokio Sands on his father Marty’s trundler. It paid off. In 2013, Tyler won the world amateur left-handers’ trophy in Turkey and went on to be a New Zealand amateur rep. Last Saturday, he shot an astonishing 60, 11 under par, the lowest score recorded on the Hokowhitu layout although not a course record because the clean-and-place rule was in effect.
But anyone who has three eagles and five birdies in a round has game. Hodge can only hope generous benefactors were watching among the big crowd on the final day.
He remembered going 9-under-par at Levin as a 14-year-old and 8-under twice at Manawatū last year and once at Paraparaumu Beach.
After the Super 6s last year, when he won the strokeplay, he set off to England to tackle the third-tier Clutch Pro circuit, a pay-to-play lead-in to the Challenge Tour in Europe. He teed up in one event, missed the halfway cut, then got the news his father had cancer, and flew straight home.
Marty was given a golf cart on Sunday to follow Tyler’s journey to victory.
This year, Tyler has been excelling on the Charles Tour with five runners-up, but until Sunday hadn’t got over the line. For winning the Wednesday shootout, being second in the strokeplay and victory overall, he took home a tidy $12,500.
The $60,000 purse was spread between a field of 77, although 40 were amateurs. The six-hole knockout format proved tough for professionals, their pockets stung when eliminated by amateurs.
At least the Manawatū club continues to run such an event to assist the professionals and it will be back next year.
Hodge knows his future has to be overseas if he is to make ends meet and he can’t do that without major backing. He played five events in Australia for two cuts made and a first-round lead in the Victorian PGA.
Rising costs, travel and accommodation have made golf for touring professionals an even more marginal occupation than it was, and
Hodge knows at the age of 29, it could soon be decision time.
Take the equally talented locals, Josh Munn, who tried the Asian Tour, and Lachie McDonald, who are no longer playing.
Others, especially those who have kids, are also finding it tough. In the field last week were Josh Geary who has tried Europe, Nick Voke the United States and Sam Jones, who has a full card in Europe.
With only two more domestic tournaments scheduled, the circuit goes into hibernation for the winter which means no payroll for the professionals.
Post-Covid, golf has become New
Zealand’s largest participation sport with more than 230,000 swinging clubs including 142,000 members of clubs.
The Manawatū Golf Club alone has reached a record 1208 members; they lose about 100 each year but gain 200. It has 650 full-playing members.
Age shall not weary Monro
Neil Monro is a diminutive Palmerston North racketeer who doesn’t like a fuss, but fellow courtiers dobbed him in.
At the sprightly age of 93, he still dashes about the Manawatū tennis courts every Tuesday throughout the year. Spies there say he doesn’t just plant himself on the baseline; he gets to everything and it’s hard to put a ball past him.
Neil says he goes to the net “now and again”. Perhaps his hand-eye co-ordination came from father Jack, an eye specialist Neil played tennis as a youngster, then at Whanganui Collegiate School and at the club in Linton St, where there were 13 courts.
He and late wife Jennie played on their court at home at Heretaunga St for 17 years, but now the racquets are much lighter than the old wooden weapons.
He stresses he has never been more than a social player in all sports, including golf.
Neil’s secret is keeping active and walking to keep fit for tennis. He once ran a marathon, for a bet.
He has been largely free of injuries, although was once hit in the eye on a squash court and was knocked out.
Neil played cricket and rugby at school and while rugby didn’t suit him, he went on to be the NZ Rugby Museum treasurer for 52 years. He is a grandson of Charles Monro, who is considered the founder of rugby in New Zealand.