If Whangarei’s Alex Tait can get his putting together he’s more than a chance to qualify for next week’s New Zealand Open.

Tait, back in the country after his second season of trying to make a living as a golf professional in England, is beginning to regain his touch on the greens and just in time too, with the final qualifying tournament for New Zealand’s richest tournament on Monday, at the Manukau Golf Club.

“It’s just starting to come right now,” he said.

“The two or three months before I came home, I went through one of those patches where I was lipping out a lot, not a lot of putts were going in for me,” he said.

But five weeks of relaxing in Whangarei and doing some work with coach Quentin Diment has made its mark on his game.

At the Manukau pre-qualifying tournament 10 days ago he started to make some putts. The former New Zealand cricket representative did enough to top the field, along with North Harbour’s Steven Ha, with a two-under-par 70.

“I made a couple of really good par saves and dropped a couple of good birdie putts, enough to make me feel it’s slowly starting to get better,” he said.

The Manukau tournament is one of four national qualifying tournaments for the NZ Open, with the top players showing up at Manukau on Monday for an 18-hole shootout, with the top 10 going through to the NZ Open, which starts on Thursday.

Northland amateur Scott Wightman is also a good chance to make Gulf Harbour, after finishing top of the field at the Pupuke Golf Club pre-qualifying tournament, with a two-under 68.

Northland Maori sportsman of the year Gary-John Hill was offered direct entry into Monday’s qualifier but the event clashed with his final exams at Rotorua Boys High School and he opted out.

Tait said the competition among the 70 plus golfers who have qualified for Monday’s round will be very tough.

“I’m not really expecting too much, simply because of the lack of play I’ve had since I’ve been home but I’m beginning to hit the ball a bit better and make a few putts … so who knows?”

Tait was pleased with his overall form in England this year, apart from making too many putts in the latter part of the season. He said his second year had given him a further insight into being a professional.

“I made so many errors last year but the good thing about that, if you are looking for positives, is that you learn so much by your mistakes as a pro golfer and this year I went over with a better understanding of the circuit, and what the standard was like,” he said.

“I knew how much more work I needed to do each week and my work ethic was a hell of a lot better than it was last year.”

He played well at the beginning of the year especially, winning over 5000 in prize money - equalling his aim for the season.

“… Then I tapered off from July onwards and didn’t really earn any cheques after that.”

Tait, a renowned big hitter, has changed his approach.

“I’d be up there somewhere as far as distance is involved but my equipment now is geared toward trying to find control … and working on my accuracy and my consistency.”

Northland fans with be hoping he can bring that sort of control to his putting on Monday.
Source: northernadvocate.co.nz