David McKenzie on the verge of graduation

BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2005 Gila River Golf Classic | Round Three | 09 Oct 2005

At the age of 38, Victorian David McKenzie is playing some of the best golf of his career and today stands on the verge of becoming a USPGA Tour player.

As the Nationwide Tour’s Gila River Classic enters its final round tomorrow, McKenzie has a two shot lead and with close to US$80,000 available to the winner, a victory or a runner up placing would see him join Steven Bowditch, Greg Chalmers, Mathew Goggin and Nathan Green as Australian players guaranteed to graduate to the bigger stage in 2006.

McKenzie is currently in 25th position on the Nationwide Tour money list with US$157,000 and some $45,000 short of what would be a guaranteed 2006 USPGA Tour card.

McKenzie has been in this position before, more especially late in 2004 when he had a card within reach heading into the last event of the year on the Nationwide Tour, the Tour Championship. He could only manage 55th and missed a place in the all important top twenty by less than US$8000. Just a few weeks later at the final stage of USPGA Tour qualifying he missed his 2005 card by an agonising one shot.

On his return to Australia following his disappointment he found himself in a playoff at the MasterCard Masters with Richard Green and Greg Chalmers with Green taking the title but it further elevated McKenzie’s standing in the game.

He returned to the Nationwide Tour in 2005 and has been a model of consistency with five top tens in 22 events and just five missed cuts. Two weeks ago he let a good chance slip at the tournament in Boise, Idaho when his last round 78 saw him lose the opportunity of a good finish.

Should he go on to secure his place on the PGA Tour in 2006, it would be just reward for the journeyman golfer who has played the Canadian and Nationwide Tours for much of his 15 year professional career.