Forres player Wright ready to turn pro

Forres Golf Club member Jeff Wright is set to turn professional next year, having finished in the top 20 in the Pro Golf Tour qualifying school in Germany.

That feat has earned the 27-year-old Scottish amateur international full playing rights on the 2020 tour, giving him access to 20-plus events across seven countries competing against fellow pros from 25 different countries.

The German-run Pro Golf Tour is recognised by the European Tour as a gateway to the Challenge Tour and one of four official satellite tours alongside the UK-based EuroPro tour.

The top five from the season-long order of merit will progress to the Challenge Tour and then play for the right to enter the European Tour.

A delighted Wright said: “I have worked hard with my coach Neil Marr at Meldrum House to get my game to a level where I feel I am ready to leave the amateur ranks.

“In the coming months I will also be busy getting everything I need in place to travel and compete across Europe and North Africa, with my main focus being securing sponsorship to help me get started.

“On the satellite tours it is unlikely that I will make a profit for the year, as the prize funds are modest but expenses are similar.

“The satellite tours are there to get people like myself started in professional golf and promote them on to greater things.

“That is why securing sponsorship is crucial.

“I know of a few of the current Scottish professionals who started out on the Pro Golf Tour who now compete on the main European Tour and I aim to follow them there.”