PGA Features

I would much rather play alongside one of the top guys.

Mathew Morris, the Bromsgrove professional, is hungry. He hopes to dine well at Wentworth in the BMW PGA Championship this week and is licking his lips at the prospect of pitting his wits against one of the top players.

Someone like Paul McGinley would be ideal.

Morris enjoyed a recent practice round over the West Course with the Irish hero and learnt a lot about his own game.

"I would much rather play alongside one of the top guys," he said. "They are all good. You can feed off their game.

"Look at Paul. He holed the putt that won the Ryder Cup (at The Belfry in 2002) and you can learn so much just from playing alongside him. It's the same when amateurs play alongside the likes of me really - they feed off what I do.

"The rough will be brutal at Wentworth. It has been quite wet, but warm and sunny, so I will have to keep it on the short grass.

"Paul said if I can grind out par at Wentworth I will be all right."

Morris knows you are only as good as your last round. So, despite the obvious differences in location he will take the first tee at Wentworth on Thursday full of confidence.

The 2007 Midland Order of Merit winner finished third in the Nuneaton Pro-Am at the weekend, considerably better than his 20th place in the Ivobank UK Masters at Collingtree Park last week where he closed at two-under-par after rounds of 72, 68 and 74.

"I was not too disappointed. I had a good middle round (at Collingtree Park) and generally played OK in the last but I've been struggling a little bit with my swing over the past month.

"I hit a bad tee shot on the last," he admits. "I had been mindful of the water down the side but wanted to get to the green in two so I went for it off the tee and just blocked it out of bounds and made eight.

"I've a couple of bad shots at the moment but am generally pleased with my performance. Mentally, I have been very good and just have to keep taking positives from my game.

"If I can get round making only a few bogeys in the last round I can be pleased. Around Wentworth, par will be a good score."

At Nuneaton - where the course is somewhat different to Wentworth - Morris fired a two-under-par 69 to finish two shots adrift of winner Tim Rouse.

He is happy in his golf. A move from Hatchford Brook to Bromsgrove has helped settle his game.

"The move to Bromsgrove has been great and although it is not as busy as I would like it is just five minutes from home and I get a chance to practice quite a lot."

Morris wintered well, maintaining the form that carried him to the Order of Merit crown last year. A couple of firsts and thirds in Winter Series events set his stall for the 2008 summer assault. He finished joint eighth at Wellingborough in the Glazerite Trophy, third in that tournament's Pro-Am and third in Craig Phillips' tournament last Sunday at Nuneaton.

Relatively low earners but it is his form to which he looks and it gives him hope for a big pay day this week.

"My ambition is to compete. Although I haven't played too well lately I am on my way back and if I can keep it on the fairways I think I can compete."