GOLF. It’s a tough game.
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Wingham’s Reid ‘Chopper’ Brown knows this all too well. For he spends hours each week on the golf course.
However, he also knows when things go to plan, there’s few better feelings. Brown is enjoying a good run of form at the moment.
Last week he won the amateur section at the Port Macquarie Pro Am. His score would have placed him second among the professionals.
“I had a par round on the first day and I was five under on the second,’’ Brown said.
His second round was a day that makes all the hard work worthwhile, he smiled.
“I started really well,’’ Brown continued.
This included an eagle on the par four.
“They got that for the TV news,’’ he added.
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Reid Brown tees off during the second round of the Port Macquarie Pro-am.
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On the next hole he chipped in from 20 metres while he sunk a long putt for a birdie on the short par four. It was a really good day at the office.
“Everything just clicked,’’ he said.
“But I’ve been playing pretty well for the past few weeks and I've had some good results.’’
He contested two Golf NSW Vardon Trophy events on the Central Coast, playing at Wyong and the Shelley Beach. The Vardon Trophy is open to male amateur golfers who hold a current Australian or overseas equivalent handicap of four and under. Brown’s handicap currently sits at -1.
Brown was fifth at Wyong and backed this up with a win at Shelley Beach. He’s had three Vardon wins this year, at Bonnie Doon, Muirfield and Shelley Beach. He’ll be playing more Vardon events this year.
He completed year 12 at Wingham High in 2017 and is having a gap year. Golf is dominating his life.
“I play or practice just about every day,’’ he explained, adding he complements this with work at the gym.
Brown’s next goal is to make the State team. He said this will open up further opportunities for tournament play.
Eventually Brown wants to play the game professionally, but he knows that’s going to be a long haul. Brown started playing golf at Wingham and still has a hit at his home club while he practices there regularly. However, he rates Bonville as his favourite course.
He played under 21 and open pennants for Pymble again this year and he’ll play in the club championships starting the October long weekend while he also plans to play in more Vardon tournaments.
Brown was the Manning River Times Sportstar of the Year in 2016 after gaining a place in the Australian Schoolboys Merit team. He is the first golfer to win the award that has a history stretching back nearly 50 years.