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Amateur golfer James Hydes, 21, is ticking off his sporting goals, one by one – including two of the biggest in recent weeks.
Last month, James was selected for the NZ Golf National Academy – a team of six amateur golfers that play as a team for NZ – something he had long set his sights on. Previous members include Ryan Fox, Michael Campbell, Danny Lee and Lydia Ko.
Just a few weeks later, he became only the seventh amateur to win the Muriwai Open, which is part of the Charles Tour. Half the players on this tour are professional and half are elite amateurs.
James says he wanted to win a Charles Tour before turning professional, but Covid-19 has put a spanner in the works.
“It’s important to test yourself against international competition before turning Pro – in places like Asia, Europe and America. Playing against better golfers is how you improve,” James says.
Last month, he was supposed to be in America competing in an amateur tournament that would have been the biggest he’d experienced.
He says it’s frustrating that travel is off the cards for now but he has re-focused on improving his world amateur ranking and establishing his reputation by playing in NZ tournaments.
The Muriwai win shot him up the world rankings from 460 to 333, but his aim is to get into the top 20.
“Winning at Muriwai has given me a lot of confidence going into the next event on the Charles Tour, on October 1,” he says.
He began playing golf as an eight-year-old with his father. “I loved it right from the start,” he says. “Getting competitive with my dad and trying to beat him.”
Those days are long gone, with James’ father taking on caddy duties for the Charles Tour.
James dropped out of Orewa College in Year 13 to focus on golf. He belongs to Gulf Harbour Country Club where he plays every day and works in the golf shop.
He says he enjoys the crowds and nerves that come with tournaments, and has set another goal of playing in the Eisenhower Trophy in 2022 in France. This is contested between teams made up of the top three amateurs from each country.
