Jordy Briggs is a golfer nearing the top of his game.
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The 22-year-old is in his first year as a Professional Golfer's Association trainee and is on track to becoming Horsham's next golfing star.
Nearly five months into his new life as a professional golfer, Briggs was reflective on his journey so far.
"I've had a pretty successful four or five months, and I sort of put it down to enjoying work and enjoying the playing side of things," he said.
"I've played seven events this year so far, and I've had four top 10 finishes, including a win, which is great.
"I thought at the start of the year it would take me a while to settle in a bit. But, being able to rock up to tournaments and sort of have that feeling that you belong it's been good. Having that confidence is important if you want to put results on the board."
Briggs won the Settler's Run Trainee event in Cranbourne, in March. It came after a third-place finish at the Southern Trainee Match, Briggs first tournament of the year, and a second place finish at the Eynesbury Trainee Event.
The young star's success hasn't come by dumb luck. Years were dedicated to early morning starts and tournaments around the state.
"It's what you work towards these past few years," he said.
"At the end of the day a person like me, now I'm my own business. I make money from playing golf and being able to rock up at a tournament and do well; that's my job."
The early morning trips are still a staple of Briggs' golfing career.
"It's obviously tough taking those trips to Melbourne. There are days that I get up at 2:30 in the morning and make the trek down," he said.
"But besides that, there's been days where I've got up early and gone on to get good results. There are kids in Melbourne that live next door to the course, and I'm able to rock up after a three or four-hour drive and beat them. That's obviously pretty awesome."
Beating city based golfers is a small delight for someone from a small, country golf club.
"I thought it would take me a little while because there are some good golfers around the Melbourne area and they've got awesome resources and probably unlimited money as well," Briggs said.
"I think I go in as a bit of an underdog, but that's been a pretty awesome thing. Come January or February I didn't know anyone; I didn't know one trainee professional in Victoria. But now I go to a tournament, and everyone says g'day to me cause my names up on the leaderboard.
"It just goes to show that Horsham Golf Club offers a lot. We're three or four hours away from the city and we've got a trainee, like myself, and I'm able to compete."
Briggs was training under the supervision of former Horsham Golf Club manager Paul Riley, who announced his resignation last week.
"Paul's moving back to Sydney to be with family, and that's just something we've got to respect. Family always comes first. You can replace a job, but you can't replace family," Briggs said.
"The information that Paul's given me and what I've learnt from him, I've been able to put it into my own game and into my work life and put it to good use.
"He's been awesome for the club, and we'll be ever grateful for what he's done."
The PGA requires trainees to be indentured to a professional golfer for the duration of their three-year program. If a mentor leaves the club has 90 days to find a new professional or the trainee may be suspended from the program until the next year.
Horsham Golf Club president Leo Delahunty was confident about attracting a new professional golfer.
"The trainee has to have a professional overseeing him, so Paul Riley leaving does affect things. But, that effect won't come in for three months," he said.
"It's our intention to advertise for a club professional, and we're working through our options around that now.
"There's plenty of wiggle room there and what we've got is a great golf club, probably one of the best in regional Australia, and there'll be people interested in being a part of that."
Briggs will be supervised for the near future by former Horsham trainee Levi Burns, who is now based at Melbourne's Patterson River Golf Club.
"He's an ex-Horsham boy, so he's going to take me under his wings for the next couple of months, just to help with the work and practical side of my training," Briggs said.
"We'll keep in contact by e-mail and text, and I'm almost already down there every week, so it will be good while the club looks for another professional."
With uncertainty emanating from Riley's departure, Briggs chooses to focus on his work around the club.
Trainees must be full-time employees of their club in the PGA's program, so Briggs coaches Horsham's next generation of golfers.
"It's pretty exciting helping out the juniors. Because, I'm only 22 and maybe 10 or 12 years ago I was one of the kids that we're looking after and working with now," he said.
"I'm in a fortunate position where I can do what I love, and I want to help kids out in the Wimmera too so that maybe in 12 years time they're in my footsteps.
"It's that classic story you know. I started at the bottom, but now I'm working my way up."
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