Keeping Faith

When James Heath burst onto the scene many predicted a rapid rise to the top, but as Neil Tappin finds out, things are never that easy...

 During the early ‘00s, James Heath was one of Britain’s most talented and promising young golfers. Victory in a string of leading amateur events, including the Lytham Trophy, marked him out as a star of the future. Then in 2004 he turned professional off a handicap of plus five and quickly established himself within the professional ranks, winning his first event on the Challenge Tour in 2006.

However, Heath’s journey towards the top of the game was soon to veer away from its linear path. Despite earning his full European Tour card for the following year, Heath lost his way and the game that had treated him so well began to bite back. Now 35 years old, he is back on the main tour having earned his playing rights at Q-School. We caught up with the Englishman to find out more about his rollercoaster journey within professional golf.

Congratulations for getting your European Tour card for 2018. What does it mean for you this year? 

If you get your card you’ve got a place to play and earn some money. You are in control of your own destiny, you are going to be able to play 18 tournaments, 18 big tournaments, so that is nice. No one can take that away from you and that’s why I couldn’t feel my hands over the final putt at Q-School.

Going back to when it all started, can you tell us about how you first got into golf?