Golf: Josh Main back to lead the locals at the Port Macquarie Pro Am

Main will lead the locals against seasoned professionals James Nitties, Nathan Green, Leigh McKechnie, Ed Stedman and Matt Giles.

It will be his second Port Macquarie Pro Am after he returned last year following an almost 10-year stint on the professional circuit where he was based in Queensland.

But he still remembers what it takes to have a successful round at the local course.

“The guys that haven’t played here before will struggle if they don’t know to keep the ball below the flag or below the hole,” he said.

“If you’ve got a downhill putt you’re going to struggle all week and knowing this course should help me a fair bit.

“You have to know where to keep your approach shots.”

Main said he always wanted to return to the area after his shot at the pro circuit.

“Now I’ve got a mortgage, two kids and a wife I can’t do as much travelling and playing golf,” he said.

“But it was a good place to grow up.”

He said he was focused on improving on last year’s performance where he shot one-over par in both the first and second rounds of the event.

He feels he is in better form.

“I had some time off the game leading up to last year,” he said.

“So with the move and the two kids, golf became about third or fourth down the ladder.

“It’s slowly creeping up to second or third now, but it might not be number one ever again.”

After recovering from a torn ankle ligament eight weeks ago, Main was quietly confident of a top 10 finish.

“I hope I can contend and on any given day I can shoot some pretty good scores around my home course,” he said.

“Next week I’ll shoot for the top 10, but I’d like a bit higher than that – top five.”

He said the condition of the greens at Port Macquarie were the best he’s seen in some time.

“They don’t get much better than what they are at the moment and usually are in the best condition you’ll find anywhere.”