BLAKE Windred may have finished second to former NSW amateur teammate James Conran in the Waratah Pro-am on Wednesday but the Charlestown gun was glad his game was heading in the right direction.
Conran fired an eight-under 63 to beat Windred by a stroke and secure a breakthrough professional win.
He would also have claimed the course record, but for preferred lies due to recent wet weather.
The Sydney-based 23-year-old carded seven birdies but the highlight was an eagle-two at the par-four seventh, where he hit his drive to a foot.
His only hiccup was a bogey at the par-three 15th.
"I didn't know the course so I was just blindly going around and hitting it at everything. The shots I missed, I missed in the right spot," Conran said.
"Bar the par three, I hit just about every fairway. If it wasn't in the fairway it was on the edge. I hit the drive close at the seventh and I hit good drives down the par fives. I didn't hole anything too long or chip in. I hit a lot of greens and holed a lot of putts.
"I turned pro at the end of 2020 but I haven't really played a full season of anything. It will pretty much be my first season at giving it a proper crack."
Windred was left to rue a double-bogey at the par-four sixth where he "clipped a tree and had to chip out" and another slip-up at the par-four 13th. He and Conran played in the morning.
"It was close," Windred said. "Well done to James, he is a good lad.
"I had a double-bogey and a bogey today. It could have been anything. The game is there. I just needed to tighten a few things.
"The greens at Waratah are incredible. It was great to play with Greg Coughlan. He is on the board at Waratah and helps me a lot with my business side of things."
Windred returned from Europe a fortnight ago after a difficult couple of months on the Challenge Tour - his first tough period since turning professional three years ago.
"If you want to ride the highs, you have to be able to battle through the low times and gain as much experience from it," said Windred, who played in two LIV events but then struggled to make a cut.
"It is good to be home for the summer. I have been able to get back into a normal routine and get some serious work done. Get some gym work done, see my coach and get all areas of my life into a comfortable position.
"If I continue to do that, I will go down to the Vic PGA ready to make some birdies and compete."
Jake Higginbottom carded a five-under 66 to finish third and get some confidence before flying to Morocco on Sunday for a $1.5 million Asian Tour event.
Ben Clementson looked set to challenge Conran, with birdies at five of his opening six holes but faded to finish two-under.
Defending champion Nathan Green was tied for 13th at one-over.
