A teams event contested between Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand, the Four Nations Cup is for vocational PGA members without a Tour card and will be played at Victoria’s Moonah Links from September 19-21.

Cripps something of a contestant with a difference, and an important one at that.

Hailing from Sydney’s south, Cripps is a rare Indigenous golf professional, one who is relishing the chance to provide a visible example of an Indigenous golfer representing his country to young aspiring players.

Growing up in a sporting family that has included relatives playing NRL, and even a golf pro in great uncle Graham Lester, Cripps is aware of both his uniqueness, and welcomes added responsibility both as an example and potential agent of change.

The graduate of the PGA Membership Pathway Program via The Ridge Golf Club reminded of both while thoroughly enjoying recent involvement in an Indigenous clinic at the Tailor-Made Building Services NT PGA for a second time.

“Anytime you can be a role model for anyone let alone being Indigenous or anyone is pretty cool,” Cripps said.

“I guess doing the indigenous clinic at the NT PGA and giving back to the Indigenous community, that was pretty rewarding … To have a golf influence in the Indigenous community would be huge.”

That influence will come in part when he suits up for Australia at the Four Nations Cup this month, but is also achieved through his training as a vocational member of the PGA of Australia and through simply being present.

“Watching the Indigenous kids at Palmerston, it was amazing how much talent was there in that little group.

“I think it was Lorenzo, he absolutely killed it. He was smashing the ball, his putting was unbelievable. I gave him a signed glove, some balls and he was in awe. He didn’t take the glove off.

“To see something like that, to give back to someone like that is probably the most rewarding. And for him to go back to his family and say, ‘Look what I got’, that could promote golf in his family or community somewhere down the line.”

Promoting the game is a core element to every PGA member’s role, achieved in a wide variety of ways, including for Cripps and the rest of the Australian Four Nations Cup team through physically playing the game.

The event’s importance despite only recently coming into existence clear for Cripps when describing his aspirations to represent his country.

“Once I knew I wasn’t going to get my Tour card because I played so well at Q School (laughing), that was on my radar big time,” Cripps said. “Once I knew I was illegible to qualify for it, I wanted to make it straight away.”

That qualifying occurred via last year’s PGA Professionals Championship National Final at Yarra Yarra Golf Club where Cripps earned his first chance to represent Australia in anything alongside veteran Tour pro turned Royal Hobart Golf Club Teaching Professional Scott Laycock.

The remainder of the four-man team comprising of Cripps’ good friend TJ King, who returns to the Aussie side after playing the 2022 event won by Canada, with Melbourne-based professional Bradley McLellan, another new face.

Relishing the chance to return to a team environment like his days as young man playing Australian rules football, Cripps is also looking forward to playing under team captain Laycock, who selflessly gave up his exemption into the 2022 Fortinet Australian PGA Championship for King and Cripps to allow both to tee it up.

“When you have someone who was a great player like him and the calibre of his class, you’re going to learn a lot,” Cripps said of the one-time world No.69.

“Watching him shoot bogey-free 66 in the second round at Yarra Yarra last year was some of the most impressive golf I have ever seen.”

Competing across the difficult Open Course at Moonah Links will require more of the same from Laycock, as well as his teammates who will contest daily singles matches in the morning and two fourball matches in the afternoon.

The goal for the Aussie charge quite simple according to Cripps.

“I just want to win.”