WHEN Josh Main tees off on Tuesday, the prize at stake will be a bit more than the recent $5 or $10 bets has been involved with over the last couple of weeks.
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Main will join the 2018 Port Macquarie Pro Am field just happy to be there – and the 34-year-old won’t have the added pressure of being a professional.
It’s all about fun.
He can enjoy having a hit on his home course after he decided it was time to give the sport away professionally in December last year.
“I went to the Tour school, missed out by a few shots and pretty much decided then that I’d had enough,” Main said.
“Golf is a bit more enjoyable these days; I can have a beer while I’m playing and I play a little bit better when I’m not so stressed out.”
Now it’s all about family.
He wants to spend more time with wife Crystal and children Amelia and Jake instead of clocking up the frequent flyer points.
“I’d been professional for about 10 years and turned pro in the UK,” Main said.
“Having two young kids, a mortgage and the wife … I couldn’t put the effort that’s required to play at that level anymore.
“It was time.”
While he doesn’t have a hit anywhere near as often as he did in the previous 10 years, the competitive edge still remained.
“Even when the guys want to have 10 bucks against me on a Thursday afternoon I always want to win that,” the father of two said.
“The competitive streak is still there for sure even if it’s for $5 or $10.”
The decision to take a step back from the tour means he doesn’t expect much on Tuesday and Wednesday, but who knows.
“There is no bar for me this year; I’ve got nothing to beat,” he said.
“I don’t have any expectations because I haven’t been putting the work in, so I’m excited to see how I go without practicing.”
The local knowledge will still come in handy should Main be in the lead group coming into the final couple of holes.
“The greens will be a bit faster and firmer so if you leave yourself above the hole anywhere your knees can knock over a two-footer,” he said.
“It is definitely a tricky course, but if you put your approach shots in the right spot, any score is possible around here – either good or bad.
“You want to leave yourself with uphill putts that’s for sure, but my golf is definitely on the downhill run.”
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