Croudis caddied for his fellow Otago Golf Club member Mahal Pearce, doing his best to get his "boss" home with a good score, although it would be fair to say that neither were too overjoyed with a 1-under 71.
At the back of the youngster's mind must have been thoughts of what might have been, but for a couple of bogeys on the back nine at the Russley course in Christchurch on Monday.
That was all that stood between Croudis competing instead of caddying at The Hills.
Three under the card at the time, Croudis only had to par the rest of the nine to ensure a start in the Open.
To make it worse, he missed a play-off for the final spot in the field by just one shot.
"It was pretty gutting. If I'd shot 3-under I'd have definitely been in.
"Oh well, next year," he said with a shrugBut having seen close up how the pro golfers handled The Hills yesterday, Croudis admitted he was thinking during the round that one day it could be him trying to shoot low numbers for a living, instead of lugging a bag around.
"Definitely. Like, you've got to put in the hard work but it's better than sitting in an office all day, that's for sure."
Time for some background details.
Croudis, on a plus 1 handicap, is one of Otago's most promising young golfers.
Apart from being the reigning club champion at Balmacewen, he is also the New Zealand Under 19 champion and finished second last year in the Aaron Baddeley Junior World Championships in China.
And he's only been playing "serious golf" for the last two years, having taken the game up casually about five years ago but preferring to concentrate on hockey and cricket, in which he represented Otago.
It was only when he tried to make the top four in the sixth-form golf team at Otago Boys High School, urged on by teacher and junior golf supporter Bill Trewern, that Croudis took a more serious approach to the game.
"Billy has been so good. He sort of got me into it and has taken me on golf trips and stuff."
Now the plan is to go Otago University this year and then "hopefully" head to the United States next year, on a golfing scholarship that may eventually lead to a professional golfing career.
Not that he seems at all fazed by such a daunting challenge.
His laid-back attitude towards the future mirrors his own temperament on the golf course which makes him such a promising young player.
"I do practise quite a lot but it's just a game. You might as well just play it to have fun, I suppose.
"I don't get angry. I've never broken a club; there's no point. I just give each shot like a low level of importance and then you can't get angry."
And it was the same at The Hills yesterday as he put that positivity to good purpose, keeping Pearce buoyant, especially when so many putts didn't drop.
"He's a good kid, full of energy and pretty positive and upbeat, and that came through out there today," said Pearce.
The pair know each other well, having played and practised . together many times before.
That was also a big advantage yesterday, as Pearce was happy to call his young assistant in several times to read the putts, a relationship Croudis described as "pretty chilled out".
Oh, and by the way, it was also his 18th birthday, yesterday not that he regarded it as any big deal.
Initially, when asked for his age during this interview, Croudis answered "17", then corrected himself - "actually, I'm 18 today.
I'm just not used to saying it yet, because no-one's asked me", he explained with a laugh.
