By Casey OÇonnor
Former Warwick Golf Club professional Sam Eaves is set to return to the PGA Tour after relinquishing his Warwick role this week.
On Sunday members of the Warwick Golf club officially farewelled Eaves who has been the Warwick Golf Club Pro for almost six and a half years.
Prior to taking on the role in Warwick Eaves was a full-time playing professional on the Australian PGA tour.
“I have really enjoyed my time in Warwick,” Eaves said.
“I feel as though I have been able to accomplish a lot in my time here and I am really proud where the club is now.”
He said when he arrived at the club it was not in great shape financially and membership and participation rates were lower.
While the club has turned its fortunes around financially, Eaves said it has been very rewarding personally and professionally to have been able to grow the game in the Warwick and “see membership and participation increase to where they are today.”
“It has been wonderful to introduce so many people to the game and watch their progress as players,” he said.
“Firstly, to see some people learning that the game was not as scary as they might have first thought, then stepping up to play regularly and eventually progressing to local competitions and beyond has been great.”
Another part of the role that Sam has really enjoyed has been servicing many of the regional clubs including of course Stanthorpe.
He visited Stanthorpe several times a year holding coaching clinics and provide players easy access to golfing gear from clothing to clubs from the PRO Golf shop in Warwick.
Sam Eaves influence on golfers stretched quite a lot further than the other end of the Southern Downs. He has visited regional clubs in Charleville, Goondiwindi, Injune Quilpie St George and others providing support in his role as the Warwick Pro and extending similar services to golfers in those areas.
Eaves said despite his heavy workload and commitment to his position in Warwick he has been able to retain his Australian Tour status.
Tour Status is based solely on a player’s winning earnings and with not a great deal of free time to dedicate to his own game, Eaves said he was able to play tournaments and earn enough prizemoney to retain is player rights.
How he managed this he says was “Purely the mindset that I could do it mixed with a whole lot of self-belief.”
For the next few months Eaves said he would be concentrating on getting his body and his game in shape for the Australian PGA in November and the Australian Open in December.
“I think it is the right time for me to take this step both personally and professionally,” he said.
“As much as I loved the role in Warwick it was quite demanding, working seven days a week 363 days of the year.
“It is time for me to change direction and make some lifestyle choices for my myself and my family.”
He also indicated that he has some outside business options in the pipeline.
Eaves and his family will remain in Warwick until the end of the school year before relocating to Highfields.
He will be a familiar face on the Warwick Golf Course as he works on his game between now and then.
When he and the family do make their move to Highfields, Eaves expects to play at the Toowoomba City Club.
No doubt there are plenty of local golfers who have benefited from Sam Eaves’ advice during the past six years and his appearances during the summer of golf in the PGA, Australian Open and beyond will be closely monitored by the Warwick golf community.
