Brown vindicates decision to rejoin swingers

It's been a while between tee shots on home soil for golfer Mark Brown, who nonetheless has momentum on his side entering the opening round of the New Zealand Open today.

The $1.5 million championship at The Hills near Queenstown marks Brown's first outing in a four-round tournament in this country since a stunning third round of six-under-par 66 helped lift him to a tie for sixth at the New Zealand PGA Championship in Christchurch in February.

That began a year of pleasing consolidation for the Wellingtonian, who relaunched a stalled career close to 12 months ago after a three-year break.

Now, he has money in the bank, a renewed passion for the game and, most crucially, confidence.

Three top-10 finishes in Asia -- including a tie for eighth in the European co-sanctioned Singapore Open last month when he pocketed $US90,000 ($NZ120,353) -- tends to do that for people.

Boosted by his performance in Singapore, Brown sits 25th on the Asian Tour's order of merit with income of $US156,500, and comfortably inside the top 60 who guarantee their playing privileges for 2008.

So unlike many of his countrymen, Brown, 32, has form behind him entering the European and Australasian co-sanctioned championship at jewellery magnate Michael Hill's private par-72, 6610m course on the outskirts of Arrowtown.

That's even allowing for him missing the cut by one shot in his last outing at the Hong Kong Open this month, when an errant drive led him to bogey the final hole in his second round.

He shot an even par 140 after rounds of 71 and 69 and remained upbeat despite the disappointment of being absent for the money rounds.

"To play well and miss the cut by one was disappointing; in some ways you'd rather miss it by 15 shots," he told NZPA.

But that was a mere blip for a player who endured countless sleepless nights in the early stages of a career which stalled in 2003 when he put the clubs away.

He dusted them down again last year, determined to give the game one final shake before time passed him by for good.

It is a decision he has vindicated in more ways than one, clambering aboard the Asian Tour via qualifying school and more than holding his own on an emerging circuit.

Brown, 32, describes his year as solid, a surprisingly grounded summation considering the deprivations he experienced in the first stage of his career when pay cheques proved elusive.

"I have just been steady. I was chipping away then had three top-10s in a row which secured my card and gave me a shot of confidence.

"The big goal at the start of the year was to retain my card. That's not such an easy thing to do after coming through the qualifying school.

"But I've done that comfortably now so the year has been quite pleasing from that aspect."

If Brown sounds matter-of-fact about his progress, bear in mind he realised little of his unquestionable potential from 1996 to 2003.

Central to his improvement since gaining a foothold in Asia has been the realisation that at the end of the day nothing is more important than the score signed for.

He used to get bogged down seeking perfection in his swing, over-analysing small components of his game when the larger picture needed his attention.

"I have an analytical mind when it comes to the golf swing but you can get too wrapped up in it.

"You do need to have confidence in your swing when you're under pressure but Mal (his coach Mal Tongue) and I have now simplified things.

"It appeals to my psyche that we are not working on too much stuff. What we are doing is simple and it makes sense.

"The emphasis is on playing golf and making a score, not worrying about how you swing the club."

He hopes such thought processes serve him well in the next two days at The Hills.

Brown would like nothing more than to make the cut here and potentially challenge come Sunday afternoon.

His year's work will end with the Masters of Asia starting in Bangkok on December 6.

Only then will he look back with satisfaction on a season that has given him much hope for the future.