Eoin Arthurs won the Galvin Green PGA Assistants’ Irish qualifying round after hitting the highs and the lows at Co Meath Golf Club.

Arthurs, representing Co Dublin’s Kinsealy Grange Golf Academy, is in his first year of PGA training after making a decision to ‘better himself’ and leave the amateur circuit behind.

The former East of Ireland Amateur Open champion won in difficult conditions at Trim where his one over par round of 74 proved enough to top the leaderboard by one shot ahead of Sergio Coyle  St Anne's Golf Club) and Michael McGeady (Seamus Duffy Golf Academy).

Arthurs made five birdies but held on for victory despite making an eight at the par four 13th.

Now he will join 12 other qualifiers from Ireland at the £32,000 showpiece event being held at Coxmoor Golf club in Nottinghamshire from August 2-4.

And Arthurs, 33, now wants to make the most of the opportunities the PGA course can give him.

“I’d been working at the Kinsealy driving range where I’m based for about 10 years,” he said.

“In the last year, I decided I didn’t to be sitting around and collecting balls, I wanted to be somebody better and support my family more.

“I wanted a better life for everyone concerned,

“I live by the saying that if you find something you like doing, then find a way of making money doing it!

“It doesn’t matter if it’s teaching or playing golf.

“I was still playing as an amateur, but I felt I’d done all I needed to do. It’s just a change I suppose, to get a profession.”

Arthurs admits he is unfamiliar with the Coxmoor venue.

“I haven’t a clue at the moment,  when I get home with the wife and two kids then all golf talk stops, but I’ll take a look nearer the time,” he smiled.

But he admits qualifying for his first PGA Assistants’ final was far from easy.

“The wind was swirling, it was awkward at times,” he said.

“There was an eight in there after the five birdies. At the 13th I had my one iron which I love to bits.

“The wind was coming hard off the right, I tried to cut it over the corner, but I caught the last tree and the ball was never to be seen again.

“I did the exact same thing again. But after that I just made sure I had the ball definitely in play - in the end it was a good eight!

“I was smiling afterwards, I played well apart from that.”

Galvin Green PGA Assistants’ Championship - Ireland Qualifying Event, Co Meath Golf Club (Par 73

Detailed scores

QUALIFIERS

74 Eoin Arthurs (Kinsealy Grange Golf Academy)

75 Sergio Coyle (St Anne's Golf Club), Michael McGeady (Seamus Duffy Golf Academy)

76 Ciaran McKenna (Mallow Golf Club), Keith Shannon 

77 Victoria Bradshaw (Belvoir Park Golf Club), Shane Jenkins (St Margaret's Golf & Country Club), Iarlaith Keane, Kelan McDonagh     (GUI National Academy)

78 Andy Hogan (Edmondstown Golf Club), Stephen Barry (Royal Tara Golf Club), Stephen McCarthy (Black Bush Golf Club),  Steven Quinlan (Halpenny Golf Club)