Rika
Batibasaga

Biography

Originally from Brisbane, Rika Batibasaga is a talented golfer and natural athlete.

He has played other sports such as rugby at a high competitive level, but found golf to be his game from a very young age.

Rika has been well known for his ability in Queensland and Australia winning various competitions. He won the 2005 and 2007 Fijian Open's as an amateur, and the Queensland Mens State Amateur Championship in 2007.

He was part of the 2010 Queensland Mens team that won the inter state series, and also played a part in the Australian Men's team that was victorious in the 2010 Asia Pacific Teams Championship (Nomura Cup) in Fiji.

Rika has been working with Kevin Healey, Head Coach from Pure Balance Golf Academy, since February 2011, where they made various improvements to the technical side to his game in order to gain greater control with various shot shapes and flights and consistency, it was at this stage Rika also started working with Golf Specific Trainer Josh Meyer and later on Sports Pyschologist Dr Karl Morris, and between them all all have given Rika more structure in the future development of his game.

In September 2011 Rika made the decision to turn professional at US Qualifying school, and made his full professional debut, in the 2011 Brunel WA PGA Championship in Perth, which he lead after the first round, and finished his first event in 30th place.

At the end of 2011, Rika gained his full Australian PGA Tour Card, after finishing 26th at the Qualifying school.

He started the 2012 season with a tied 11th finish at the Victorian Open and will head off to the UK in April to play a season on the 888poker PGA Europro Tour, aiming to finish top 5 on their order of merit, which will earn him 2013 European Challenge Tour status.