Corowa Golf Club professional James Gordon is coming off the greatest round of his life.
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Gordon recently shot an incredible 10-under par 62 at Tocumwal.
"It was a weird feeling," he revealed of the sublime performance.
"The front nine, I didn't think I hit it that well, but birdied both the par fives and held a putt on a par four, so I was three-under," he recalled.
"It was strange on the back nine, I hit the shots exactly the way I wanted to.
"I eagled 11 and then birdied 12, 13, 14 and 15 and finished with another birdie on the 18th."
Gordon's 29 on the back nine is a world away from when he started with big dreams on a traineeship at Howlong Golf Resort just a few days after completing his HSC in Cootamundra a decade ago.
Six months before starting his golf career, he was floating around a five or six handicap.
"As a junior, you think I'm going to be a golf pro, blah, blah, blah (laughs), you practice until it's dark every day," he explained.
"I thought a traineeship was just play golf and work in the pro shop.
'I quickly learned you don't play any golf and you're doing assignments, it's like being back at school and I probably struggled with that for two or three years."
His boss at Howlong Travis Merritt could see the talent.
"He has more natural ability than anyone I've ever known, he just didn't practice, he didn't have that drive," he offered.
Gordon, who turns 28 next month, admits practice - the lifeblood of any pro golfer - doesn't come naturally.
"If I said I was practicing every day, people would know I was lying," he laughed.
"I would go out and play nine holes rather than hit balls on the range, I couldn't tell you the last time I went to the range and hit balls for a reason."
Gordon left Howlong to work as the assistant pro at Corowa and only assumed the top job 10 months ago.
"As soon as I started working here my golf took off," he said.
Gordon can't explain how his game improved.
"I'm not a long hitter, I don't smash it 300m, that's for sure," he suggested.
"I guess my bad shots aren't as bad as most peoples bad shots and I'm still able to make par when I have a bad shot.
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"I just try to keep it in play, hit a lot of greens and make four or five birdie chances."
Merritt says Gordon is a superb technician.
"Technically, he's very solid. He has the perfect build for a golfer, he'd be pushing six-foot one (inch), he's lean and strong," he offered.
"I think he now sees golf in a different light, I think he understands now you only get out of it what you put into it."
At the professional tournament level in Australia, COVID has brought the sport to a screaming halt.
"I've played just the one tournament (The Murray Open at Corowa in February, 2021) in the past 18 months," he said.'
"As soon as you turn pro, you want to play pro-ams, so once we're allowed to play, I'll do that.
"I'd love to go to Q-School (for the Australasian Tour), but I also love doing this, it's enjoyable running your own pro shop.
"You feel as though the members respect you, as long as they come out and enjoy their golf, that's all you have to worry about."
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