James Walker wins the PGA in Yorkshire and PGA in England and Wales (North) orders of merit
James Walker secured the PGA in Yorkshire Order of Merit title as well as the north region points race trophy following an incredibly successful year.
James, who is based at The Oaks, secured top spot in the Yorkshire points race with a win in the Yorkshire Open, a second place finish in the Yorkshire Championship, a T2 finish in the Yorkshire Masters, a T7 finish in the Yorkshire Classic, and a semi-final appearance in the circuit’s matchplay event.
He also won the PGA in England and Wales (North) Order of Merit this season – sealing victory with a win in the Lancashire Open at Pike Fold Golf Club. James topped the leaderboard in the final north region order of merit event of the season – shooting rounds of 66 and 67 for a nine under-par total and a two-shot win over Bradley Tomlinson. The victory secured the four-event north region order of merit title and added to James’ second place finishes in the Manchester Open and the PGA North Region Championship.
“The 2025 season was a good one overall and I’m happy to have won the two order of merit titles,” said James. “I played nicely all year really, and just focused on keeping things neat and tidy throughout. I tell so many players that I coach the same things – keep it in play, keep your short game sharp, calibrate your putting, and do plenty of on-course work. That helped me this year as well and the results came from those fundamentals.
“One of the highlights early on was a pro am at Lincoln, where I shot nine under-par. I also had a chance to shoot 59 at Didsbury, which was brilliant golf again. Having missed out to him in a playoff in the North Region Championship at Bolton, it was great to get the better of Ryan [O’Neill] at Pike Fold in the last round, and get over the line and win that one.
“I enjoy playing around being a coach, and I think it’s important to play as often as you can as a PGA pro to have some lived experience to pass on to your players,” added James, who also sits at the top of the qualifying race for the GB&I PGA Cup team, which will continue throughout 2026 ahead of the biennial match against the PGA professionals from the USA at The K Club in Ireland in October 2026.
“My goal over the winter is to stay sharp, and I’m hoping to play some overseas events so I can hit the ground running next spring. My main focus next year is earning a spot in the PGA Cup team. I enjoyed being part of the last one in the US and I’m in a good spot to get into the team, but I need to push on and have a good season in the national events next year to get into the team in Ireland.”
