JYE Pickin expects the competitive juices - and pressure - to peak at the TPS Hunter Valley tournament at Cypress Lakes Resort, starting Thursday.
And that is exactly what the young Novocastrian craves.
As one of 10 amateur invitees - five male and five female - Pickin won't vie for the $250,000 on offer.
For him, it is all about gaining experience. Ticking the boxes so when the time comes to turn professional, Pickin is ready.
"I have played quite a few tour events over the past couple of years, which has been awesome," Pickin said. "You understand how cutthroat golf can be. You are always testing your game on courses that are set up to be the toughest and longest possible.
"When you do turn pro, you are not out of your comfort zone by a long way."
Pickin, 22, is quickly amassing a catalogue of experiences.
He was on the cut line at the Vic Open a fortnight ago, and before that climbed into the top 10 at the TPS Murray River.
"You learn how you operate in different situations," he said. "I was around the cut at the Vic Open. I saw a scoreboard and knew I needed a birdie at one of the last four. I birdied 15, but on 18 I got short-sided in thick grass beside the green and wasn't able to make it up and down. I feel like my game is good enough to make a cut, so it was a bit disappointing.
"Before that at Murray River I was up to 10th at one point. Being up towards the other end is awesome as well. Getting those competitive juices flowing. That is why we play golf, to be battling it out for a trophies down the stretch."
Fellow amateur Geoffrey Guan was the co-leader entering the final round at TPS Sydney last week and finished fourth.
"It is cool to see your peers play golf like that," Pickin said. "It gives you confidence that, on a good day, you can match it with the best."
TPS Hunter Valley, which combines men and women events, has attracted a strong field.
Newcastle 16-year-old amateur Ella Scaysbrook is in the women's event.
Rhein Gibson is a last-start winner on the US Korn Ferry Tour, while TPS Sydney champion David Micheluzzi, Deyen Lawson and Justin Warren are top ten on the Australasia Tour order of merit. Not to mention US PGA tour-winners Nathan Green and Peter Lonard, and European Tour-winner Peter O'Malley.
"In the lead-up to the event, I try and play with some of the pros, ask questions and that kind of thing," Pickin said. "Come Thursday, I try not to intrude too much. Just take a back seat and see what they are doing."
Pickin will also take on the pros in the NSW Open next month, before a trip to Europe and the US and a series of world amateur ranking events.
"I will see where the golf is at from there and work out what is next." he said.
"With golf, there is a process you go through as an individual.
"Sometimes if you jump in the deep end too quickly you can sink or swim. You see some kids flourish and swim pretty easily. I feel if I can tick all the boxes as an amateur it will make the transition to a professional a bit easier."
