Malton golf ace Simon Dyson was today attempting to break rank after reaching the pinnacle of the amateur game.

Dyson fulfilled one life-times ambition at the weekend when he helped Great Britain and Ireland lift the esteemed Walker Cup for only the fifth time.

Now, after helping dispatch with the cream of America's amateurs, Dyson was today teeing up at the PGA European Tour's pre-qualifying school at Wynyard Golf Club, near Middlesbrough.

Starting out with more than 100 other wannabe professionals, Dyson was aiming to finish amongst the top 30 to advance to the next 'round'.

Another finish amongst the top echelons after a 72-hole examination at one of three Spanish venues will then mean Dyson, 21, will take his place in the final school and lose his amateur status.

Speaking to the Evening Press fresh from his success amongst the elite at Nairn, the Malton and Norton Golf club star admitted it had always been his dream to turn professional.

But he was still pinching himself after the events of the weekend where Great Britain stormed to a 15-9 victory.

"It was brilliant, just brilliant," said the 21-year-old. "It was simply an unbelievable experience."

Dyson certainly performed well at Nairn, where in his first singles match on Saturday he had to settle with a half with David Gossett after threatening to beat the American amateur champion.

"I was three up with six to play then I made a bogey and he had two birdies to get it back to all square before we both birdied the last, but I shot four under in that game."

On the Sunday morning foursomes Dyson and his partner, Paddy Gribben, suffered a cruel slice of luck on the 18th against Hunter Haas and John Miller.

The home pairing looked set to walk away with at least another half point until Dyson knocked his approach at the last into sand.

In the afternoon singles, Dyson, playing second, lost to Edward Loar 5 and 4 but said he was more than satisfied with his performance.

"I played really well again but his putting was just red-hot, he just couldn't miss.

"I was down three holes then he holed a 20ft at the 8th for a half, a 25ft at the 9th for a win and a 25ft at the 10th for half and I just couldn't get it back."

Dyson's performances earned praise from team captain Peter McEvoy. "He was delighted. I don't think I have ever seen anyone so happy."

The triumph has capped a fine year for Dyson, who only last month won the Finnish Amateur Open.

He and Malton and Norton Golf Club club-mate Chris Tyson began the year by winning the East Riding Alliance championship pairs title, with an 11-under par total.

Dyson, who is coached by golf guru Pete Cowan, the man behind Lee Westwood's rise to the world professional rankings, was in even better form when he won the first Yorkshire major crown of the season, the Yorkshire strokeplay championship at Hallamshire. His first round four under par 67 was only the second time in competitive play he had completed a round without dropping a shot.

He was pipped to the English Amateur title by Burhill's Phil Casey, who also starred in the Walker Cup team. Dyson was the first North Yorkshire golfer in the Walker Cup team since Scarborough's Mike Kelley in the 1970s.

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