Rachel tries her luck Stateside

Golfer Rachel Connor

RACHEL CONNOR tees off today in her final tournament as an amateur before embarking upon her next adventure.

The 19-year-old from Royton is to turn professional after returning from Falsterbro, Sweden, where she is competing in the European Strokeplay Championships.

And Rachel, a former pupil at Our Lady’s, is aiming to conquer America by winning a card to play on one of their leading tours.

Rachel is to leave for Florida early next month. She will spend two months training at the David Leadbetter Academy, working with top coach Dave Whelan in readiness for qualifying school for the Duramed Futures Tour.

That is one step down from the Ladies’ PGA Tour and is where most of America’s top women players have learned their trade.

Qualifying school in early November is likely to have around 300 up-and-coming women golfers vying for 120 places.

And should Rachel fail to win a card to play on the Duramed Tour, she has a back-up plan to compete on the Sunset Tour which is Florida-based.

Rachel, who has represented England as an amateur, said: “I feel I have achieved everything I can as an amateur and the time is right for me to step up to the next level.

“I believe that if I stayed here for another year my game would go backwards.

“I am excited by the prospect of playing in America. There are a lot more opportunities, which is why I am keen to establish myself there.

“There is nothing equivalent here to the Duramed Futures Tour which has similar prize funds to the European Tour events.”

Rachel does not envisage having any problems settling in America.

She has already spent lengthy spells in Florida, training and competing during the last three winters at the Leadbetter Academy and with the family of Nick Dougherty, whose father Roger has coached her.

Rachel has taken part in the Harder Hall Invitational, The Sally Amateur and the D Jones Matchplay Championship on the Orange Blossom Tour, as well as representing England in the Junior Orange Bowl and Doral Publix.

She added: “Having been to Florida for the last three years it won’t be a shock and, in fact, it feels like going home.

“Obviously, conditions on the courses in America are far different to the ones here.

“The balls fly further because of the heat. There is also a different type of grass and you don’t find any Links courses in America.

“My game is flexible and in the past I haven’t had any trouble adjusting to different conditions. I have two months to get used to them before qualifying school.”

Rachel’s season has been disrupted by a back injury, but she has finally overcome the problem.

And after finishing third in the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Royal Aberdeen last week, she is hoping that her form is peaking at the right time.

Rachel battled 50-mile-an-hour winds and torrential rain in the opening two rounds which explains her scores of 80 and 79. In the final two rounds, she shot 72 and 75.

After starting the final round eights shots off the lead, Rachel’s final 16-over-par total of 304 was only two shots behind winner Danielle McVeigh, from Royal County Down.