Pike's career change pays off at Masters
IN: News | Australasian PGA | MasterCard Masters (2006) | Round One | by Anthony Powter | 23 Nov 2006
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Aaron Pike will not be thinking too much about a cricket career today, but rather a future in golf. If his closing four holes during the first round of the MasterCard Masters are any indication, Pike will be around for a while.
At Huntingdale today the amateur shot four closing birdies to score a course record 64 and with that a one shot lead from England's Nick Dougherty and Australia's Peter Wilson.
Pike was an avid state level cricket player as a youngster, who had originally planned to move to Adelaide to play cricket. Only picking up a golf club at 15, he got down to a 5 handicap by 16 and then started to get serious as a golf player, putting more time and effort into his game in the elite program out of Indooroopilly Golf Club in Queensland with Jason Day.
The 21 year old won 2005 Queensland Amateur and was runner up in the 2005 Victorian Amateur, which he rates his best achievements to date.
"I've been playing fulltime now for 3 1/2 years and feel that I can make a living from the game. I made the National Squad which gave me an opportunity to pre-qualify for the Masters, where 96 guys were playing for four spots at Twin Creeks. I shot a 68. At the end we had seven guys for three spots in a play off and I got through there."
"Coming into the tournament this week I had been playing well. I haven't played Huntingdale before, except for this week's practice rounds. Obviously I did not think I would shoot a 64, you have to have a lot of things go your way to do that. I've putted well today. I'll sit down a bit later and it will sink in."
"I said to my caddie, 'This is great lap it up, but it's only a quarter of the job done, there's another three rounds to go if we are going to keep going with this.'"
Following his 64, Pike is full of confidence and feels he is now in with a real chance to perform well this week. His goals and expectations about what he wants to get out of the week have not altered. Coming into the tournament he wanted to shoot double figures under par.
"My expectations are not going to change because of what I shot today. The goals I have won't change. I am going to keep doing what I did today and if it happens, it happens."
You don't get the feeling that Pike is boxing above his weight class this week. At 6'3 and 115 kilos, he resembles a "real unit" on the course, more suited to the rugby field than the golf course. Not long with the driver, he clams that it's his wedge and putting game that are his best attributes as well as keeping the ball in play. With an eagle and six birdies today, you'd have to say there's some truth in that.
Englishman Nick Dougherty is coming off what he describers as a "torrid" year, both on and off the golf course. He made up for it this morning with a 65 to be in equal second position with Australian, Peter Wilson, who to date has won a few pro-am tournaments and is yet to really crack a main four round tournament.
Justin Rose at one stage had a round going when he moved to 6 under, only to let it slip over the closing three holes, which many players have described as being particularly difficult. Rose is in T11th, whilst Paul Casey is in T23rd position at 1 under.
The first day at the Mastercard Masters was all about the amateur and cricket lover, Aaron Pike. With a round like today's under his belt, Pike is probably comfortable that he's not heading out at the 'Gabba to try to regain the Ashes; rather the attention is on Huntingdale for the next three days, with the odd glance of the cricket, kindly provided by some score board attendants at the golf.
Photo - Anthony Powter
