JAMES BYRNE PLANS PRO FUTURE AFTER WALKER CUP MATCH

James Byrne driving from the third tee at Murcar Links in the Scottish open amateur stroke-play championship (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

FROM TODAY'S SCOTTISH DAILY EXPRESS
http://www.express.co.uk/golf
By JOCK MacVICAR

Banchory's James Byrne swings into the New Year as Britain and Ireland's leading amateur and second in Europe.

The only European ahead of him in rankings dominated by American college players is Sweden's Henrik Norlander, based at Augusta State University.

Byrne, who celebrated his 22nd birthday on Sunday, is 17th, two spots ahead of Irishman Paul Cutler and 15 ahead of the next GB and Ireland player, English teenager Tom Lewis.

He starts his final term at Arizona State University on January 16 and expects to graduate with a marketing degree in May before returning to play in all the main amateur events in the build-up to the Walker Cup match at Royal Aberdeen on September 10-11.

"The plan for this year is to play in everything back home in the summer, then hopefully make the GB and Ireland Walker Cup team," said Byrne.
"After that I'll be going to the European Q School and hopefully will get my card as a Tour professional."
Byrne showed he has the game for the professonal ranks last year when he came within a whisker of qualifying for The Open at St Andrews.
"By having such a good season last year, I then knew I had the game for the professional tour. I haven't won a college event in the States but it isn't easy. Arizona State always play against the top colleges and the standard is very high.
"I usually find myself playing against the likes of Peter Uihlein who is the world No 1."
Byrne was born in Norfolk and his mother is from Singapore. But the family moved to Banchory when he was only three weeks old.
Because he has spent three years at college in America, he has not been a regular member of the SGU Elite Squad back home but his game is home-built.
Byrne said: "I've had the same coach, Andrew Locke at Inchmarlo, since I started playing golf at the age of eight. Because he knows my game so well, I can go to hm at any time and he'll immeidately spot any problem I have with the swing.
"When I'm at Arizona State, I send videos of my swing back to him and he can then study them and get back to me.
"In his early teens, Byrne was an accomplished swimmer, winning many events in the pool and setting a number of records.
However, by the time he wa 14, he couldn't handle golf and swimming as well as his school work, and the swimming had to go.
It was a tough decision to make but the intensive training he had with Gary Paterson, now Scotland's Commonwealth Games coach, has stood him in good stead.
There are few fitter and more athletic golfers around.
While the Walker Cup is Byrne's main target for 2011, he hopes as a warm up for the match and the European Q School to get an invitation to the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in August.

"I'll also be trying to qualify for the Open at Royal St George's and maybe the US Open at the Congressional in Maryland, as well," he added.

"The only problem is that it's at the same time as the British Amateur at Hillside. I haven't decided yet."

(Byrne, of course, reached the final of last year's British Amateur at Muirfield).

Whatever his decision, Byrne will be one to keen an eye on.

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