Andrew Bonhomme: Considering his Options

BY Anthony Powter | 09 Nov 2009

In pursuit of his chosen profession, Andrew Bonhomme has played on virtually every golf tour there is to play. Europe, Asian, Japan and the US, the 37-year-old has travelled to over 32 countries and is a true “tour journeyman”.

During the last two years the player commonly referred to as “AB” has focused upon the Nationwide Tour in his first big assault upon the US. It was a period that Bonhomme would rather forget. He was plagued with injuries and not able to take full advantage of the opportunities he’d given himself after years of hard work in Europe, Asia and Australia.

In late 2007, Bonhomme had packed his bags for the US following a stellar 2007 domestic season in Australia that included a win in the Queensland PGA Championship, a runner-up finish in the Toyota Southern Classic and the New South Wales PGA Championships, as well as securing the 2007 Von Nida Tour money list.

At the time, Bonhomme had played well enough in the US at Q-School to earn playing status on the Nationwide Tour. His game was on the improve and so was his confidence.

A slip on a tee box whilst playing the Mexico Open, an event early on the 2008 Nationwide Tour schedule, damaged his wrist and forced an unplanned two month layoff. The momentum had been lost and with that Bonhomme’s confidence slipped.

“I was able to return to playing later in the year, but I lost my form for the rest of the season, as well as my confidence,” says Bonhomme.

“Then in 2009, I got tennis elbow in the other arm and again I lost my momentum and confidence for the remaining of that season. Overall I didn’t get the results that I was expecting in those two years and it was a little disappointing.”

In 37 starts, Bonhomme made just six cuts and banked less than US$40,000. The results not a true reflection of the Queenslander’s talent and more to do with circumstances beyond Bonhomme’s control. He decided to leave the Nationwide Tour and return to Australia.

“I’ve decided not to return to the US and to go back to Q-School,” said Bonhomme this week.

“The last two years were a great learning experience for me as every professional golfer wants to play in America. I’ve done that and it has not gone as well as I would have liked. I need to re-access whether I’ll go back again.”

It’s not that Bonhomme has discounted a return to the US, just the timing is not right.

“In about a year’s time I’ll be able to work that out again, but at present I’ve got OneAsia Tour status and I’ll be aiming towards that in the immediate future.”

Bonhomme is a fighter. He gives 100% in every event he enters and is always a player that considers what options are available irrespective of the prevailing circumstances.

Bonhomme’s approach might be a reflection of his trainee professional days at Twin Waters Resort during the early 1990’s, before he turned to playing on the tour, however, you sense that it’s more to do with the person that he is, adaptive, willing, but most of all approachable.

In 1994, Bonhomme turned professional at 21, having been one of the top five trainees in Australia at the time, which got him some limited starts in Australasian Tour events. Bonhomme finish 4th in the Coolum Classic that year and was named the Queensland “Rookie Pro of the Year”.

He gained his first tour card in Asia, a tour on which Bonhomme would go on to achieve the majority of his golfing success to date, including a runner-up finish in the 1995 Singapore Open and a win at the 1997 Vietnam Open.

There were experiences in Europe after gaining his tour card in 1998 and Bonhomme made London his base to play the 1999 European Tour, along with John Senden. Between 2001 and 2007, the Japan Tour was his focus with return trips back to his homestead in Goondiwindi, a semi-rural area that nestles on the Queensland and New South Wales border, where his young family still live.

The logistics of travel with professional golf again makes Asia an attraction for Bonhomme.

“America is a long way from Australia when you have a young family,” he says.

“Right now I want to get the highest status that I can with the OneAsia Tour. Winning last week at the Western Australian PGA has got me into all the main Australian events this season and that’s a huge relief for me.”

In true fighting spirit Bonhomme birdied the final four holes at the Western Australian PGA Championship last week to win his second Australasian Tour event and his first main professional win since the 2007 Queensland PGA Championship.

The win in Western Australia was not only timely for Bonhomme, but it was critical towards getting his confidence and form back to the level that he enjoyed in 2007.

“I’ve had a pretty ordinary time in the US of late, ran out of status, ran out of starts, money and confidence,” says Bonhomme.

“I came back home and got back into it and was able to have a little victory last week. It’s changed everything and it’s nice now to have a schedule to get things back on track again.”

Bonhomme is currently positioned 12th on the Australasian Order of Merit and needs to improve on that status to play full-time on the OneAsia Tour. The US at present will take a back seat and it’s something that Bonhomme feels comfortable about.

“Golf is a funny game, just when you think you have got it, it gets taken away from you,” he says.

“But if I’m in the mid-back nine with a chance to win in one of the big three Australian events on the final day this summer, I know I’m in with a chance.”

Bonhomme has experienced his fair share of frustration playing the world’s tours. If there’s a special trait with him, it’s his preparedness to give things a go.

“I know I need to step it up a little and play better on the harder courses like Kingston Heath, NSW and Coolum,” says Bonhomme.

“I’m not quite yet in the grove, but over the next week or so if I can get the game a little better and then feature well in one of those big three events, I could turn what has been a pretty ordinary year into a solid year.”

“You only need one or two good weeks and it can change everything. That’s the aim at least for this Australian season, to feature well in one of the main events and see where that then takes me.”

Discuss this article in our forums