JULIAN Taylor has entered the professional golf ranks after securing his place on the EuroPro Tour.

In qualifying for the tour, the York Golf Club member has fulfilled an ambition he has worked towards since he was a 13-year-old at Huntington School.

The former Yorkshire Amateur champion, now aged 23, signed on the dotted line to become a pro at the Mottram Hall 1836 event at the end of March, before returning there for the first qualifying round for the EuroPro Tour.

At Mottram Hall, Taylor carded rounds of four-over par and four-under to finish fifth of the 36 qualifiers.

The final stage of the tour qualifying school took place at Frilford Heath, near Oxford, where Taylor was up against 240 other tour hopefuls.

And he finished with rounds of 71, 73 and 74 to finish two-over and claim equal-46th place and claim his all-important tour card.

The PGA HotelPlanner.com EuroPro Tour is the largest European developmental tour, offering £800,000 in total prize money, with tournaments held at courses across the UK.

The tour has been the starting point for numerous pro stars, including Charl Schwartzel, Ross Fisher and Louis Oosthuizen.

Taylor plans to tee-off at the first event of the new season, returning to Frilford Heath on May 18 to battle it out for a £10,000 first prize.

He said: "Since I came back from college in the United States last May I have been working hard and practising to get my game in shape.

"It has been difficult but I think it has been improving – going through the qualifying rounds has given me confidence I can make it as a pro.

"There are 14 events on the tour and I intend to compete in them all, doing as well as I can and starting to earn some money."

Taylor's progression so far mirrors that of US Masters champion, Yorkshire's Danny Willett.

The world number nine stormed to victory at Augusta last month, and also honed his golfing skills through the US college system.

Like Willett, Strensall-raised Taylor opted to finish his schooling at William Woods University in Fulton Missouri.

While he was there Taylor collected a number of top accolades, including being named the top player for his college and twice being awarded NAIA Scholar-Athlete honours.

While stateside, Taylor was also the first from his university to be selected for the 2014 All-Nicklaus team, which rewards college golfers for outstanding play during the season.

Plus. in 2012, Taylor won the Phil Mickelson Award presented by the Phil and Amy Mickelson Foundation as the most outstanding freshman in NAIA men’s golf.

During that season Taylor won three tournaments and had two other top-five finishes, not finishing outside the top 20 in nine tournaments.

He added: "Danny Willett's achievements will be an inspiration to anyone starting out to see what can be achieved, especially by a fellow Yorkshireman."

"That has really inspired me, and I have spent a lot of time practising, working at my game and in the gym to achieve my goals.

"It has not been easy but I know this is what I want to do with my career."

Taylor has played his amateur career at York Golf Club, and in 2014 became Yorkshire County Champion – a title he came within one shot of defending last year.

Members at the club are right behind Taylor and will be helping to support him on the tour.

However, facing expenses of around £20,000 in his first year on the the EuroPro Tour, Taylor would welcome any backing or sponsorship from local businesses. Please contact York Golf Club for more details.