Main champion Cameron Smith is again in his house nation and gracing extra than simply Australia’s two largest golf tournaments.
Smith, who received the Open Championship in 2022, is the headline act at Nudgee Golf Membership in northern Brisbane throughout this week’s Queensland PGA Championship.
Whereas he’ll draw many of the viewing public’s consideration, this week’s discipline is full of loads of gifted golfers who’re making an attempt to interrupt by means of.
Trying deeper than the US PGA and the European excursions, skilled golf is huge, with a whole lot of high quality gamers battling on the greens every week hoping to safe a victory that may propel them to the subsequent degree.
Aaron Wilkin’s win on the Queensland PGA Championship in 2022 opened the door to him plying his commerce abroad.
Aaron Wilkin performed on this yr’s New Zealand Open. (AAP: Michael Thomas/Photosport)
Week after week, Wilkin, dozens of his fellow Australians and a whole lot of different golfers around the globe, are battling on the greens from Australia to England and all over the place in between.
Wilkin, 31, has spent this yr enjoying golf around the globe, making an attempt to safe a tour card sooner or later.
It’s a robust slog for such golfers who need to cowl their very own bills as they attempt to earn spots in tournaments across the globe.
However it’s a sacrifice they need to make at this degree {of professional} golf.
“With golf, it’s important to earn your proper to play on a tour yearly,” Wilkin instructed ABC Sport.
“That type of comes all the way down to prize cash and factors, relying on the tiering of the tournaments.”
This yr, Wilkin has been enjoying in some tournaments on the Asian Tour after incomes a partial tour card based mostly on the place he completed within the developmental collection final yr.
However a partial card meant Wilkin didn’t have full readability over his yr.
“I can plan to a sure diploma the place I will likely be, however there are two-three re-ranks a yr, and for those who’re not enjoying OK your re-rank will drop, so that may have an effect on what occasions you get into within the again finish of the yr.
“It isn’t till you retain your card or have a winner’s class you can map out your entire yr.
“That is type of been my entire profession actually. I type of simply performed the place I may get onto.”
This yr Wilkin has performed tournaments in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Oman, China, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Morocco, England, Indonesia and Taiwan.
It’s an costly train when sponsorships are laborious to return by.
Whereas the prize cash could be tens of 1000’s of US {dollars}, a golfer must carry out persistently to make sure they’ve the money to hold on to the subsequent occasion.
“I have been on the golf course and within the background understanding that I’ve bought no cash to get to the subsequent place until I play properly,” Wilkin stated.
“However whenever you’re on the market, you simply consider the golf.
“Even some weeks the place you make $10,000, it is identical to a traditional wage ultimately.
“It isn’t till you progress up the leaderboard and begin making the larger cash that you just relieve a little bit of stress.”
However for all golfers at any degree, successful is the treatment of all issues and its opens alternatives.
For Wilkin, victory within the 2022 Queensland PGA Championship earned him a tour card exemption in Australia for 2 years.
Figuring out his spot was secure at house for a short time, Wilkin set his sights on Asia in an effort to broaden his profession alternatives.
It has been a small luxurious for the Queenslander, with assured spots on the Australian tour laborious to return by.
“I gave myself a free yr [in 2023] to try to higher myself abroad,” he stated.
“I by no means had that freedom, 5 – 6 years out on the Australia tour.
“For those who do not play properly within the Australian Open, Australian PGA, New Zealand Open, you do not actually maintain your card until you win a kind of smaller occasions.
“Having that freedom undoubtedly gave me the chance to go some other place.
“There’s quite a lot of good golfers in Australia which can be caught, and till you get that sort of freedom the place you possibly can go abroad [it can be difficult].”
However abroad tournaments imply loads of bills — paying for all the pieces from flights and lodging to caddies and yardage books.
It provides to the stress on all golfers as there isn’t any assure of prize cash every week — however it’s all a part of being an expert golfer.
“Lacking a reduce simply comes with it,” he stated.
“With my sort of recreation, I sort of know I am at all times going to have every week right here or there that I am simply not there, and a few programs do not swimsuit you.
“It is by no means ultimate to go away and are available again with nothing within the pocket. However I feel I’ve conditioned myself to maneuver on fairly shortly and simply reset.”
Wilkin just isn’t anticipating to play in Australia this summer time as he continues his quest to safe a tour card in Asia subsequent yr.
The Australian is at the moment on the right track however must proceed producing good outcomes to keep up his spot within the prime 60 of the Asian Tour rankings.
