Perry Classic a reunion for Waikato's best

The Brian Perry Classic has been a homecoming for several top Waikato golfers who are making names for themselves at various levels on the world stage.

David Smail is clearly the leading candidate and the favourite for the 54-strokeplay tournament at the Hamilton and Ngaruawahia golf clubs which started today and has 66 professionals playing with 66 teams of amateurs.

But a light schedule of late – Smail has played just four tournaments in 2010 – might give some other locals a chance to compete with the world No128 before he heads back to the Japanese Tour.

Mark Purser is probably Smail's understudy and the next in a long line of talented Waikato golfers. Purser had a fantastic 2009 with five top 10s on the Asian Tour with limited playing rights. His form last year has now opened up more tournaments to him, and 2010 has already started well for the 25-year-old, who finished 49th in the Malaysian Open a fortnight ago.

"And now I get to come back to my old course and play in a big-money tournament, it's great," he said.

Brad Shilton is another of the golfing sons to return to Hamilton for the Classic before a little more time in New Zealand then to Papua New Guinea – the same plan as one of Waikato's newest professionals, Jim Cusdin.

James Gill has been back from Europe since late last year and is hoping for a strong showing on the St Andrews course where he won the 2007 amateur strokeplay title.

He is recovering from a serious back injury. "It's coming along now and I haven't had any problems," Gill said.

The $100,000 prize pool for this tournament, which ends on Saturday at St Andrews, is similar to the purses Gill chases on a UK satellite tour where he will head to in April.

Mark Boe, Gill's team-mate in the 2006 Waikato amateur team which won the national title, is also back for this week. "I had a bit of a break last year just to get my head back on track," he said.

He's been playing in Australia, but the new plan is to head to Canada or Asia where Boe wants to play more four-round tournaments.

Mathew Holten, now playing out of Christchurch, and Doug Millington round out the field of locals with the latter coming in as late replacement for the injured Peter Fowler.

- © Fairfax NZ News