David Clark, who has been at Morpeth Golf Club since he turned professional at the end of 1997, has been playing in tournaments on the second-tier Challenge Tour and the third-tier EuroPro Tour over the last few years, as well as PGA North Region events.

The former NE and NW PGA Order of Merit winner is pleased with his recent form, which includes joint second place in the PGA North Region Championship at Burgham Park late last month, and hopes to do his best showing in the gruelling tour school qualifying events.
The first stage is a four-round competition on a UK course in September, with the top 25 percent going through to the second part in early November — another four-rounds on a Spanish course.

Those that get through then play another six rounds in Spain, with the top 30 getting a place on the lucrative European Tour.

Despite it not being an enjoyable experience, Clark is determined to do well and hopes to better his 2006 effort when he got through to the second stage, but a bad last round cost him the chance to go for the premier tour.

"I had a slow start to the season this year, but I've improved my performances and results in the last six weeks and hopefully I'm running into good form ahead of the tour school," he said.

"I know I'm good enough to get through all the stages and play on the European Tour, I wouldn't enter otherwise as the fee is £1,250.

"It's a difficult process because it comes down to how you play on the days and all the other players are good enough to get through as well.

"There's more pressure because in a standard tournament each dropped shot costs you money, but in these events each dropped shot could harm your employment prospects for the next year.

"You don't know for sure what will happen, but I certainly feel that there's a lot more for me to achieve in this game."

Getting through to the final stage guarantees him at least a good category on the Challenge Tour, as at the moment he is usually only told of spots available in their events just two days before they start.

The 30-year-old started at Rothbury Golf Club and when he was an amateur he won the Northumberland strokeplay championships at U18 and U21 levels and he made a big impression when he won the prestigious Champion of Champions event in 1996.

When he joined Morpeth he decided to do training and exams so he could become a qualified professional coach and became Assistant to Martin Jackson.

He said: "It was frustrating as it took four years to do everything and my game suffered a little in that time, but I don't regret doing going down that route as it gives me a club job coaching people and running the pro shop to fall back on."

Clark has had the taste of the big time during his career after being invited to play at the Great North Open at Slaley Hall and the European Tour's flagship event, the PGA Championship, at Wentworth in 2006.