Life in the fast lane

After years of chasing the dream, PGA.info blogger Matt Ford finally achieved it – a European Tour card.

The last time we caught up with Matt- the tail end of 2014 - it followed a difficult year on Challenge Tour and the prospect of a seasonal job with the Royal Mail.

But six days in Spain eased the pain and has opened the door to some glamorous destinations including South Africa, the Middle East and Thailand for starters.

Early results have been encouraging - with Matt having set the first day of his 2015 season alight.

We caught up with Matt – midway between South Africa and Qatar – for his opening blog of the year.

I am finally here on the European Tour, with two tournaments under my belt and a third this week in Qatar. It's all still exciting really, a bit nervy at times, but I’m loving getting going.
Looking back at that very first round at the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek in South Africa, when I shot 66, it felt great starting so well although I played poorly for the rest of the tournament - especially with the putter.

Before the tournament there was a ‘meet the rookies’ day. I had a great experience in a safari park with some elephants. We were playing football, riding around the game park on one and then I was being thrown in the air from their tusks!

It was awesome and all part of a meet the rookies interview that will be shown later in the season. The interview was all a bit emotional reflecting on the whole Q School experience and what it means to me because it was still so fresh. I wasn’t quite as bad as Andy Murray winning Wimbledon, but I was fighting back the tears! 

There was a good three weeks between my opening tournaments – both in South Africa. Going into the week straight off the back of Christmas, and my need for a break to recharge the batteries combined with the weather, meant that my preparation was not ideal for my return.

But I finished 25^th and would have taken the 25th and the money at the beginning of the week.  However, with starting well and feeling good about my game I was a little disappointed. I didn't hit the ball as well as I would have wanted to in the last three rounds but it's a positive that I still managed to finish 25th.

Having made the step up people want to know what the difference is stepping up from the Challenge Tour to the European Tour.

Well, it’s difficult to say after only two events! Last year I played three main tour events and had my best performances of the year. Playing on the tougher course means accuracy is more of a premium, which suits my game as I am not the longest.

The hardest and biggest change is the size of everything, from the prize money, the crowds, the public interest, the size of the tournaments and people you’re up against. You just have to believe you belong and I do, but it will take a bit of getting used too!

I don't think I will feel at home properly until I achieve the results like some of those big names. But I am feeling more and more comfortable each week and with each new experience.
Playing with the best raises your game and focuses you on what is important as you see everyone else’s strengths and weaknesses. This allows you to see what your strengths are and what you need to improve on. Sometimes seeing your strengths is just as important if not more.

I flew into Qatar on Sunday as the tournament gets underway on Wednesday. I am really looking forward to being part of the Desert Swing. I couldn’t get in last week, which was disappointing. I was hoping to get into Abu Dhabi and Dubai as last year my ranking was good enough but for whatever reason it was harder this year.

It's very hard to predict what events I will or will not get into. If I am going to get into Dubai next week then I need a top 10 finish here. If I don’t then India or Thailand will be my next event with three more in South Africa. As you can see it's quite tough making plans as I won't know what events I'm in till around the week before. But I will just have to be ready and hope I take the chances when they come. 

Of course, the hardest and worst part of my job is being away from my family. I'm currently in a four week trip away from them. This is the longest time I've ever been away from them. I don't mind the travelling, it's made more bearable if you don't have to do it on streamline budget which I have been doing for the last 10 years!

Hopefully if I'm successful I can enjoy it a bit more and hopefully give my family all they deserve, which is so much. On which note, I am also very lucky to have the CK Group as my main sponsor, they have been a great support the last few years. They are my only sponsor currently but I am looking for a couple more.