A STUNNING year York-born EuroPro Tour ace James Wilkinson dreaming of European Tour stardom.

After eight years in the professional ranks, the 29-year-old this season recorded his maiden Europro success in the Eagle Orchid Scottish Masters, at Montrose Links, in July, and followed that up with a win in the NE/NW PGA Cumbria Classic at Silloth and Carlisle golf clubs.

A tremendous seven-under par 65, in his opening round at Silloth, set him up well for the second day at Carlisle, where a level-par 71 secured victory by one shot. It was his fourth victory of the season and has the second-generation PGA pro in confident mood.

He explained: "I put in a lot of hard work this year with my coaches - my dad, Stewart, and Eric Sharp. I've got the right equipment - I'm very comfortable with John Letters clubs and, the final piece of the puzzle, was working with sports psychologist Karl Morris, who's become my ‘mind coach'. And it's all come together this year.

"We've got a solid team, we work hard, and work well together. The first tournament I played this year was the four-round Andalucía pro-am and, after two rounds, I was leading by eight shots and managed to win by three.

"Having the extra mental strength helped there. We've worked really hard on my routines, sticking to my processes and making sure it was the same every time regardless of the situation I was in. From there on I've played really solidly."

Now he's looking ahead to further success, beginning with a big season finale and, potentially, a European Tour card for 2016.

He added: "Hopefully this may prove to be the breakthrough season. We have the Tour Championships at Desert Springs, in Almeria - that's the big one. The top 60 play in that and the prize fund is already up to £81,000. Now I've won an event I'm in a nice position in the order of merit and that puts me in a good place going into that. The goal is to get into the top five.

"I've also entered European Tour Qualifying School and my first stage is at Frilford Heath, in Oxfordshire, in October. It's a course I've played many times. I got through there once before, a couple of years ago. I've played the course so often it feels like a home track. On current form I'm looking forward to it."