Golf: NZPGA post for Whiley

Andrew Whiley.
Andrew Whiley.
Chisholm Park professional Andrew Whiley achieved an important milestone for his club with his appointment to the seven-man board of the New Zealand Professional Golf Association this week.

Whiley (42), who was appointed to his post at Chisholm Park Golf Club five years ago, is the only South Island member of the board.

He is the first Otago member on the board since Simon Thomas, of the Otago Golf Club, was a member in the mid-1990s. The appointment is for a two-year term.

Whiley has been a member of the NZPGA since 1984, a period that includes 13 years he spent in Canada.

The NZPGA was formed in October 1913 through the initiative of the Otago Golf Club. The inaugural meeting was held at the City Hotel in Dunedin.

There are 360 members of the NZPGA today and Whiley's job is to make sure the association ‘‘keeps ahead of the curve rather than behind it''.

‘‘The key issue is to make sure that the golf professionals stay at the forefront of the golf industry,'' he said.

Whiley said New Zealand golf professionals were rated highly overseas for their teaching skills.

He moved to Dunedin in 2003 to take over from Chisholm Park's long-time professional Paul Booth.

Wellington-born Whiley started his career as an assistant professional at the Miramar club in 1983, and was appointed head professional at Te Awamutu in 1985.

He moved to the United States two years later as a restaurant manager in California, only to return to golf, offering his expertise at the renowned Pebble Beach course.

Whiley then held assistant professional positions in Alberta before returning to New Zealand as club professional at Wanganui. He returned to Canada in 1996 to work with Prosimmon Golf Inc and his own company as a golf consultant.

Whiley and his wife, Jackie, have two children - Paul (9) and Emily (7).

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