28 Nov 2012

NZ Open champion turns pro

5:50 am on 28 November 2012

Three days after upstaging the professionals to win the New Zealand Open golf championship, the 19 year old New South Welshman Jake Higginbottom has decided to end his amateur career, and he'll make his professional debut in this week's New South Wales PGA championship.

He initially said after his victory at Clearwater last Sunday he would wait until next year, but he says he might as well join the pay-for-play ranks, as he has a prized two-year exemption on the Australasian and One Asia tours.

Higginbottom will in next week's Australian Open at the Lakes in Sydney, and the Australian PGA Championship at Collum in Queensland next month.