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Liz Bennett, amateur golfer with Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club in the New Forest, is hoping that 2008 will see her making the step up to the women's pro circuit.

The 25 year-old first picked up a club when she was 12, and her dedication since then has catapulted her to the top of the English Women's Golf Association Order of Merit.

Liz Bennett (Leaderboardphotography.com)

She grew up in a family of golfers, and began competing when she was 14. Her career really took off when her talent earned a golf scholarship at the University of Iowa in America at the age of 18.

"I won a trip to America with Nick Faldo for a week where we played against some Americans and they all said 'you've got to come to an American University!'

"So I took my S.A.T. (Scholastic Assessment Test) to get over there, had some offers, and it was literally pick which university you want to go to. A fantastic experience."

Liz displays great passion for the game, honing her skills on the links six days a week. Her dedication has led to the accumulation of a number of prestigious titles over the years.

Named English women's stroke-play amateur champion in 2006, she carried her success into 2007, winning the Hampshire County and South-East Championships.

Liz Bennett (Leaderboardphotography.com)

In the same year, she represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Vagliano Trophy and reached the quarterfinals of the Ladies’ British Amateur Open. Most recently, Liz finished second in the 2008 stroke-play Championship, losing only in a play-off.

The next step in the quest to become a pro is to qualify for the British Open at Sunningdale, "I'm into final qualifying for the women's pros British championship, then I want to turn pro at the end of the year.Μύ

"That would mean going to tour school in January - you play eight rounds of golf and the top 20 get a European tour card.Μύ That's the only way to make a good living as a player."Μύ