OKEHAMPTON amateur golfer, Ryan Turner, is one step closer to playing with a star of the European Tour after winning a prestigious Bridgestone event on his clubs’ calendar.

Ryan won Bridgestone’s UK tyre division’s DriveGuard Trophy at Fingle Glen Golf Hotel, which has put him on a journey for a round at the Pro-Am of the British Masters, supported by Sky Sports, in October.

The 21 handicapper won the stableford competition with 41 points, which now qualifies him for a regional final at Royal North Devon Golf Club on Sunday, July 3, followed by a Pro-Am appearance at the Bridgestone Challenge – a Challenge Tour event – at Heythrop Park at the end of August.

If Ryan is part of the winning team at Heythrop, he will then go on to play at the Pro-Am of the British Masters, supported by Sky Sports at The Grove in October, where he will play with a household name of the sport.

The 21-year-old is looking forward to the next stages of the Bridgestone DriveGuard Trophy, and the exciting opportunities which it could present.

Ryan said: “I’m really excited about making the next round of the Bridgestone DriveGuard Trophy. It will be a great experience and hopefully I play well on the day.

“Playing in the British Masters Pro-Am would be a dream come true. There are so many great golfers on the European Tour and to see them up close will be brilliant. Rory McIlroy would be a perfect partner for the Pro-Am, he seems like a funny guy and I think playing with him would definitely boost my chances of winning.”

Bridgestone is embarking on an exciting golf sponsorship quite unique to the UK tyre industry, featuring a European Tour event partnership with the British Masters, supported by Sky Sports, the resurrection of an English based Challenge Tour tournament and a nationwide amateur competition with nearly 200 other clubs.

Ryan said: “I’ve only been playing golf for about two months so to win a competition like the Bridgestone DriveGuard Trophy is amazing. I’m getting better all the time and can’t wait for the next round at Royal North Devon.”

The highlight of a brilliant performance came at the eighth hole, a 500-yard par five. He added: “My driving can be quite erratic so I was really pleased with my tee shot on the eighth.

“I hit it 300 yards straight down the middle of the fairway to give me some extra confidence for the rest of the round.”

The DriveGuard Trophy is free to enter and accessible to golfers of all ages and handicaps and is open to men, women and juniors.

It has been named after an innovative new range of Bridgestone tyres called DriveGuard, which allow drivers to maintain control after a puncture and safely continue for 50 miles and speeds up to 50mph, or a safe destination to organise a replacement.

For information visit www.bridgestone.co.uk