New professional Charlie Ford is looking ahead to an exciting future.

The Kirby Muxloe player claimed his European Challenge Tour card for 2010 in Spain last week.

He expects his success to earn him chances to compete on the full European Tour next year.

Ford, who turned professional only three months ago, graduated from the Qualifying School, a demanding programme of three events over 252 holes.

He was helped over the last two stages by caddie Martin Gray, who was on Lee Westwood's bag when he won six tournaments on his way to his 2000 Order of Merit title.

Ford said: "Martin said it was the strongest field he had seen for final qualifying. It included past European Tour championship winners.

"So I am absolutely thrilled I was able to achieve my target of a card.

"Now I aim to make the most of all my starts. I should get almost every one of the Challenge Tour tournaments and probably four or five on the main tour.

"It is really exciting and something I have always wanted to do."

Ford said of Gray: "Last season he caddied for Jose Maria Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez, and, in the past, he has steered Seve Ballesteros to victory. So he was a big help to me on such a tough occasion."

After four rounds of the final qualifier, Ford was third, despite the strong competition.

His second-round six-under-par 64, in the trickiest conditions of the six days, included nine birdies in his first 14 holes.

"This is as good golf as I have played, " said Ford.

"It was the worst weather we had out there because it was extremely windy and the final few holes were particularly brutal.

"I was solid for the next two rounds, carding 67 and 70 to make the cut in a good position.

"But everything went wrong on day five when, at one point, I had to chip out of trouble left-handed. I hit a few loose shots, but any mistakes were heavily punished. So I was pleased on the last day to have 74, including a strong finish with birdies at 16, 17 and a par at the last. Overall I ended five-under.

"There were a lot of mixed emotions at the end. But I am happy I have this great chance now of starting to make progress in my professional career."

Ford, a graduate of the University of Tennessee in America, is a former England amateur international and played regularly for the county.