Poker-faced Nitties shows himself to be quite a card

Patrick Smith
February 05, 2005

JAMES NITTIES is just 22. He has his life before him, never mind his golf. He played a crazed man's round yesterday but it took him to seven-under and when he had finished he was momentarily one shot from the lead.

Born in Fitzroy, Melbourne, and now a resident of Newcastle, Nitties shot 67 which included nine birdies, five bogeys and just four pars. He was as bad as he was good. He aptly called it a roller-coaster round.

It could have been so much better. Most of his bogeys came from the middle of the fairway. On the 17th, he was left with just an eight-iron to the flag but three-putted for bogey. On the 18th, he had a three-metre putt for birdie and turned that into a bogey. "They were really stupid mistakes," he said afterwards.

He has played in a handful of tournaments since turning professional last year but he was quick to make a divot. He finished second to Peter Lonard in the PGA at Coolum, beaten by just two shots.

Nitties knows where he wants to go but has no idea how to get there. He only has a card for the Australian tour. So he will criss-cross the globe playing here, there and anywhere.

Nitties is ranked 329 in the world and says he wants to play in several majors this year. High ambition, but if he is a driven man then it is most definitely in a convertible.

He likes poker - he competes in tournaments - and girls, though he is resigned to the fact that they appear more attracted to footballers. If he could not play golf he would travel the world playing poker and partying. It is all mapped out in his personal notes in the PGA guide. He walks away from none of it.

"Different things for different people. I don't need to be thinking about golf 100 per cent of the time because you just put more pressure on yourself. I don't know about girls. I do like them but they don't go for golfers these days.

"I do play a bit of poker. I have played in a couple of tournaments. That is something I like to do away from golf. It keeps my mind sharp for the game as well. Everything in my profile is true. If I had to explain it, you need a good balance to be a good sportsman," he said.

Nitties was one of three to shoot low rounds early yesterday. There was no wind and the greens were mellow thanks to the week's record rains. Pins could be attacked and balls putted firmly and without fear that they would disappear off the green.

Craig Parry shot a 66 to be equal with Nitties at seven-under. Colin Montgomerie was the morning leader after a second-round 66 pushed him to nine-under. He missed just two fairways and greens in regulation.

All three men are at interesting stages of their careers. Parry, a two-time winner on the US Tour, is 39. He has been in contention in majors but has not won one. If he doesn't it will not bother him. "I have done all right. Not bad for a kid from Sunshine," Parry said.

He will play the minimum 15 tournaments on the US Tour, returning in between to be with his family and sail his boat. Life is no longer a dogleg for Parry.

Montgomerie, 41, is reshaping his body and his game. He has lost weight to ease a back problem and now chases a place in the top 25. Once he was No.2 in the world behind Greg Norman. He says he is in a happy place on and off the course. But he'd be happier still if he had won a major.

All this is a long way off for Nitties, one of Australia's brightest young golfers of which there are plenty. First he needs to get a tour card somewhere.

"I just want to get as many starts as I can overseas. I would like to be on a tour next year and not going through the whole year thinking I have to play. Hopefully I can do well in this event and get my world ranking down and get into a lot of events, maybe a couple of more US Tour events, even some majors," he said.

To that end he will play in Europe, Asia and the US. "Wherever I can get a start I will go," he said.

It is important he maintain his position in the Heineken field for a high finish will earn him invites on the European Tour. And Nationwide Tour events in Adelaide and New Zealand will likewise assist him in the US.

All of this is possible, but Nitties must first play his cards right.