Meltham golfer Jamie Bower is considering
following Chris Hanson and Nick Marsh into the professional ranks this year.
Fresh from helping England beat France 14-10 at Formby, he’s hoping for a strong amateur season to boost his current ranking of 46th in the world.
The 23-year-old explained: “I’ve been playing the top men’s amateur stuff now for a few years and I’m looking to turn pro, possibly at the end of the year,
“It depends how this season goes, really.
“If the year goes well then I will certainly be going to the Tour qualifying school and, depending on how that goes and my form after that, I will look to turn pro.”
LOOK at our interview with Jamie Bower below
Bower was delighted to help England defeat the French in a close clash in Lancashire.
Team captain Kevin Tucker said: “It was very tense, as we said it would be, and I am so proud of the boys.
“They have been a pleasure to be with, they are a fantastic set of lads.
“All credit to the French team – they came back hard as we knew they would.
“It’s never easy to win an international match and the experience will do my lads a lot of good, especially our four debutants, Scott Gregory, Josh Hilleard, Bradley Moore and James Walker.”
The team – which received good luck wishes from Masters champion Danny Willett – went into the final singles session with a two-point lead and, to begin with, they seemed set to race to the title.
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But the determined French team had other ideas and, after each side claimed an early win, the afternoon turned into a dogged battle, with a series of close games.
Ashton Turner led the way for England with his biggest international win to date, playing four under par for 12 holes and beating his opponent 7&6.
But, as he remarked: “At the end of the day it’s one point for the team and that’s what matters.”
This biennial international began in 1934 and England have now won 29 of the matches so far, conceding just five.
The French team were last successful in 2010 in Chantilly.
Tucker commented on the message from Willett, who played in the event in 2008, and said: “They were very pleased to receive it and it was very good of the Masters champion to send it.”
The full England team was: Jamie Bower of Meltham; Scott Gregory of Corhampton, Hampshire: Josh Hilleard of Farrington Park, Somerset; Paul Kinnear of Formby, Lancashire; Bradley Moore of Kedleston Park, Derbyshire; Alfie Plant of Sundridge Park, Kent; Ashton Turner of Kenwick Park, Lincolnshire; and James Walker of The Oaks, Yorkshire.
