What was meant to be a weekend away with a mate has turned into a place in the $400,000 NSW Open for Victorian Greg Allen.
The 21-year-old who plays at Woodlands Golf Club, carded rounds of 70 and 71 to win by six shots from Nicholas Coggan and 2016 Australian Amateur Champion, Matias Sanchez.
“I had a mate (Jay-Ar Martin) who was planning on going, and he asked if I wanted to tag along, so I said I might as well.
“I didn’t have a heap of expectations. I was just happy to be getting some experience against some of the elite amateurs out there.”
“He was pretty pleased for me which was good, but it still hasn’t sunk in just yet,” Allen grinned.
Allen described his golf as a bit of a mixed bag over the weekend. He said he was thankful his putter got hot in round two.
“The first day I hit the ball well, but I couldn’t quite read the greens. I didn’t make many putts, but still finished one under.
“On Sunday I played the complete opposite, but only had 21 putts. That’s why I hung in there,” he said.
After recently completing an apprenticeship as a printer, the Woodlands representative has decided to dedicate himself to the sport for the foreseeable future to see how far he can go.
“I will give golf a crack to see where it can take me before I need to make a decision.
“Hopefully I will improve enough to make golf a career, hopefully, look at the Tour School track down the road.
With just under two months until the Open, Allen intends to practice hard and is keen to give a good account of himself.
“I need to iron in some swing changes at the moment. I’ll practice, make sure I’m moving in the right direction, sharpen up a few things, and get my game to where it needs to be.
“The NSW Open will definitely be a baptism; I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s like,” Allen added.