Every golfer wants to win off their own bat, yet James Conran happily accepted the trophy and first place cheque after rain ultimately cancelled Round 2 at the Queanbeyan Ford NSW Open Regional Qualifier on Friday to send him home a winner.
Off to an inauspicious start to the second and final round, including a lost ball on the second hole that led to a triple bogey, Conran was on the eighth hole when play was suspended due to waterlogged greens.
The efforts of tournament staff and those from Queanbeyan Golf Club unable to overcome mother nature and impending darkness, with play eventually called off at 3:15pm with scores reverting to the round one leaderboard.
Conran’s opening seven-under 63 giving him a one shot victory over close friend Jye Pickin, who alongside John Lyras and Queanbeyan local Larry Austin secured their spot at the Ford NSW Open at The Vintage where Conran and third place finished Kyle Michel were already assured a place.
A countback required to separate Austin and Lyras from Lachlan Aylen, Kameron Williams, Hamish Murray and 2008 Ford NSW Open winner Aaron Townsend on four-under.
“It’s definitely not the way you want to win a tournament, but in saying that, we had looked at the forecast on Wednesday and you could tell that it was going to be touch and go, whether we play today,” Conran said after being awarded the sixth and final Regional Qualifying Series title.
“Myself and ‘Picko’ (Pickin) knew that yesterday, and we both were talking about it the whole round, so we went out there and shot a good score yesterday.”
That good score came without a bogey on Thursday, which was quickly forgotten by Conran when his ball was lost on the second before players sat in the clubhouse hoping to get back on course.
The 27-year-old knowing the delay was to his advantage as he kept an eye on the Australian Senior Open leaderboard, where his father Steve holds a share of the lead after day one.
“As soon as it was hard raining, we were starting to think, ‘Oh, we might be a chance of not getting back out here, and that’s going to benefit me’,” Conran said of his mindset during the initial interruption.
Pickin thinking similarly having struggled through the opening holes Friday, before ultimately heading home to the Hunter Valley region with a start at his home state Open in his possession.
“It’s awesome. I think coming down here this week was a big goal of mine,” Pickin said of claiming a spot at the event that will be held from November 12-15.
“I’ve actually booked in for a Q school in America, and my flight back home, lands in Newcastle at 9am the Monday, so it was going to be a long couple of days if I had to pre-qualify.
“But it’s awesome to have that weight off the shoulders and be able to cruise home, then cruise into the New South Wales Open.”
Familiar with the course and a highly touted prospect for a long period, Pickin will fancy his chances when he gets to the Ford NSW Open, while Larry Austin, who makes his living these days a plasterer rather than tour pro, will return to the tournament after earning a spot two years ago.
“Looking forward to it and it was certainly a box I wanted to tick this week,” Austin said.
“The other one was a win, but the weather didn’t cooperate. It’s the way it goes sometimes.
“There’s a lot going on in life at the moment, but obviously NSW Open, it’s a great tournament, a tournament I played in the past, and a tournament I still want to do well in, and these guys are really good, so I’ll have to sharpen up to a certain degree.”
Sharpening up with each start as he continues to return to tournament golf from multiple injury riddled years, Lyras was pleased yet subdued on earning his start after Hamish Murray, who he shares coach Earl McGlinn with, was leading at Queanbeyan prior to the rain.
“It’s fantastic, it’s a great event, as a New South Welshman, you want to be there. Love The Vintage, love being up there. It’s a great week, and obviously happy I played the way I did yesterday,” Lyras said.
“But I feel really bad for Hamish at the moment. I don’t feel very deserving. Truthfully, but that’s the rules of golf. I think he finished behind me by two spots at Q school, so it just shows that you just need to play every shot as the most important one.”
Conran’s important shot coming at his second last hole on Thursday with his birdie at the 11th ultimately the difference in walking away a winner, with the rain unable to dampen his love of regional golf and Qualifying Series concept.
“I love playing these sort of courses, love playing in regional New South Wales. I like the greens, I like the tree lines, so I’m quite comfortable down here and it just was a week that worked out well for everyone.”
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