Having shone in his final year as an amateur, James Wilson looked set to do well in the professional ranks. If his first season is anything to do by, he’s on the right track.
An eight-time winner on the NE/NW PGA circuit to-date, including victory in the four-day Turkey pro am and a tie for top spot alongside Garrick Porteous in the association’s two-day event at Fairmont St Andrews, James also played six times on the EuroPro Tour, picking up a T5 finish at the GLAL.UK Worcestershire Masters in July.
“2022 feels like a really mixed bag,” said James, who is a year into his PGA training under Gary Vickers at Tyneside Golf Club.
“I’m really happy with the way I started the year and how I found my feet on the local PGA scene. A lot of that has to do with how welcoming the players are. A huge amount of credit has to go to all of them for that, and to Steve Harrison for putting the events together.
“On the EuroPro Tour, I did OK with some good weeks and some bad. I really would have enjoyed the chance to have a full crack at the EuroPro in 2023, but as that’s not an option, I’ll be focussing on playing locally and getting out to as many Tartan Tour and Mizuno Next Gen Series events as possible to try and earn the odd Challenge Tour start.”
Having decided not to head to DP World Tour Qualifying School, James was left disappointed by the decision late in the season to end the EuroPro Tour. He added: “My plans may have changed, but it is what it is. I’m really looking forward to competing on the mini tours, coaching and playing locally as much as possible again.
“There are so many opportunities to play at this level, so I’ll just take those as they come and see where they lead in the second half of 2023.”
