Grahame Stinson spends most weekends down in the mines, but instead hopes to be still climbing the Australian Senior PGA leaderboard come this Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
One of the region's most decorated amateur players - and multiple cricket premiership winner with University, as well as Lake Illawarra and Jamberoo in the South Coast competition - Stinson tees off against some of Australia's greatest ever at the Richmond Golf Club.
Australian Open champions Peter Fowler and Peter Lonard, also a US PGA tour event winner, and 2019 NSW Senior Open victor Brad Burns are in a marquee group teeing off in the first round on Thursday.
European Tour event winner Peter O'Malley and US and Japanese tour winner Andre Stolz are also in the field.
Stinson will begin in one of the final groups in the 72-player tournament on Thursday, admitting he's facing the unknown.
"I haven't played there before," Stinson said.
"I've been told it's a tighter, tricky course, but I'm just going to go in and enjoy it, rather than have gone up there, play bad in a practice round and knock the confidence a bit. I'm only playing once a week at Links Shell Cove at the moment, but I'm playing well.
"My aim is to make the cut, I want to be playing in the last round and hopefully not too far off the pace.''
Stinson has had a long-standing temptation about a professional career.
He did his apprenticeship at The Grange at the same time Lonard was learning his trade at Oatlands.
"He went on with it, I was too busy trying to play cricket and golf at the same time," he said.
More recently, Stinson went to qualifying school where the top three picked up an Australian tour card.
He finished fourth.
Stinson has previously played at the NSW Open after winning the Shell Cove qualifying tournament.
"When I turned 50 I decided to have another crack at it and missed out by one spot, though I was a couple of shots back," he said.
"Working in the mines, I only get the chance to play comp at Shell Cove, which is still a great standard with guys like Jason Kast, Thomas Holz and Anthony Brunero there."
Preparing for a 54-hole tournament and par-70 course, Stinson said he would be prepared to chase birdies, even if the rain hits as expected.
"I've been hitting my driver really well," he said.
"I'll take the course on a bit if I can, if I hit trouble at least I'll be around the greens, but I don't want to be scrambling too much either.
"If I play straight off the tee, it might open it up for me a bit, we'll just have to see how it's playing."