Queenslander Anthony Quayle’s solid start to the 2017 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia season has seen him jump over 40 spots in the tournament exemption categories to secure a start in the 2017 Fiji International.
Quayle has certainly climbed the ranks the long way, kicking off his 2017 season through Qualifying School with a 31st place finish leaving him little opportunity for automatic exemption on to the Tour, forcing him to Monday qualify for tournaments.
The 22-year-old has made the cut in all but one of seven tournaments he’s competed in so far this season with five finishes in the top-15.
“One of my goals was to play all of the events on the PGA Tour of Australasia schedule in my rookie year,” Quayle said who currently sits 27th on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
“The re-rank gave me the chance to do that providing I played well. I feel like I’ve played nicely this year so it’s satisfying to see myself atop the re-rank after the first half of the season.”
Thanks to his new ranking, Quayle will walk in to the Fiji International field without having the added pressure of qualifying early for the tri-sanctioned tournament.
The peace of mind now allows him even more time to perfect his game as he chases his first victory on tour as a Professional.
“I wouldn’t say there will be any major overhauls with regards to my preparation. If anything this will give me more time to prepare for the bigger events and allow myself to be completely ready,” added Quayle.
“When you have to pre-qualify for events like I had to earlier this season, you are behind the eight-ball from the get go. You have to have a practice round at the course the pre-qualifying is at, then compete, then try catch up on practice rounds and preparations for the tournament course.
“It can result in a long week and burn up a lot of energy. It will be refreshing playing the rest of the season with the freedom to prepare how I’d like to.”
He said he’ll be far from daunted competing in a field of international talent from the European and Asian Tour’s having held his own for a top-15 finish at the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open earlier this year.
“I feel I have been progressing nicely throughout my short career as a Professional and I believe that I can compete at that level,” Quayle added.
“I had a top-15 finish in my first trip to the New Zealand Open which gave me a lot of confidence in events of that caliber.”
The Fiji International presents a huge opportunity for Quayle, with a win he can secure a full season on both the European and Asian Tour’s.
Should he miss out, he’s made plans to compete in Qualifying School’s abroad to further advance his burgeoning career.
“My plan is to attend Japanese and European Tour Q-Schools at the end of the year. I feel that is the next step in my development as a player and look forward to competing Professionally on an international stage.
“It’ll make for a pretty busy back end of the season but I’m looking forward to the challenge and competing wherever I can.”