Blair Riordan takes on the golfing professionals
Blair Riordon has earned his place in the 2011 New Zealand Golf Open. Photo: Neil Wilson.
In 1954, when he was still an amateur, Sir Bob Charles won his first New Zealand Open golf title.
In 2011, eight New Zealand amateurs, including Takaka’s Blair Riordan, have the chance to emulate that feat and the great Sir Bob will be there to cheer them on.
The highest-ranked amateurs in New Zealand have been invited to play the Open at the Clearwater Golf Club in Christchurch from December 1–4 among some of the best professionals in New Zealand and Australia.
Gregg Thorpe, the talent and coach development manager at New Zealand Golf, says the opportunity is critical to the ongoing refinement of the amateurs’ games.
“It’s an important step in their development,” said Mr Thorpe. “To be able to test themselves in the professional playing environment will allow them to assess their development and plot their path for the future. Many of these guys are looking to eventually make the transition into professional golf, and this opportunity will help them understand what they’re working towards. On current form, we could well see an amateur or two on the leader board come Sunday. It’s an exciting opportunity for all of them.”
Blair is currently ranked sixth on the national order of merit. In the last few months he has won the Bay of Plenty Open and competed on the Charles Tour, which is designed to pit 40 professional golfers against the best amateurs in the country.
In the Tauranga Open Blair was 11th overall and 5th best amateur; in the Taranaki Open 17th overall and 6th best amateur; in the Shirley Open 12th overall and tied for third-best amateur.
Blair says he has played Clearwater two or three times and “it’s tough”.
“Actually in good conditions it’s a lot easier, but it nearly always blows. Then it’s a matter of getting round the best way you can and hoping that you make the putts that count.”
Playing in the Open is a dream come true for Blair. In the field alongside him will be such famous former winners as Michael Campbell, Mahal Pierce and Philip Tataurangi.
“It would be fun to play with some of those players or some of the Aussie pros that you hear about on the circuit. You’d just have to enjoy the experience, I’d say.”
Blair says that he is setting himself a few serious golfing goals for the near future.
“The World Amateur Team Championships for the Eisenhower Trophy is in Turkey in October next year and I’d like to represent New Zealand in that. Before then I’d like to go to the UK and play a few important tournaments like my brother Sean did. They’ve changed the schedule since he did it and I could play four or five tournaments in four or five weeks. That’s my dream at this stage but I’d have to raise quite a lot of money to do that.”
On Sunday Blair will leave with the rest of the Tasman team for the national interprovincial championships at the Poverty Bay club in Gisborne.
“We might do all right,” he said. “The last couple of years we’ve had good teams but under-performed. We’re experienced now and the course might suit us, I hear.”
Playing brilliantly at the interprovincials and attracting lots of media attention leading into the Open is just one of the possibilities Blair says he has to prepare for.
“I could cope with that; it would be great.”
Neil Wilson
