Golfers Hayden Beard and Luke Toomey off to Q School

Hayden Beard, left, and Luke Toomey are after a place on the lucrative European Tour. Photo / Andrew Warner

Hayden Beard and Luke Toomey are chasing one of the most cherished goals in professional golf.

The two Tauranga-based tour pros will tee off at the European Tour Q School stage one at Roxburghe, Edinburgh in Scotland next month.

Beard, 27, and Toomey, 24, are primed for putting together the best rounds of their golfing lives so far in what is a gruelling and expensive challenge to get through.

More than 1000 golfers are chasing 30 places available. To make it, they will play about 252 holes of golf under intense pressure over three stages at a series of courses across the United Kingdom, Europe and Malaysia for the first time this year.

Beard, who grew up playing golf at Mount Maunganui, is in his third year as a professional. He has not had an easy time of it on tour but his determination to make it has never wavered.

"I haven't had the greatest status in Australia. I lost my card in 2015 and basically was only playing off limited starts through New Zealand on to that Aussie tier-2 level," he said.

"I haven't played particularly well in those events but it has been a good experience. You have to be top five to kind of get ahead so [Europe] is definitely a higher plane for the amount of money you're playing for.

"There are always going to be doubts no matter what level you get to. That's why you have your support group. I have my parents, [coach] Jay Carter, [psychologist] David Galbraith and my core people who when things aren't going well get me back on the right path."

Toomey, who grew up in Hamilton and only turned pro in January of this year, said Q School was the most direct pathway to be able to play in world golf championships and majors.

"If I am truly honest, I didn't really consider Europe seriously until the last six months or so and, even three months ago, I was still tossing up between Europe and Japan.

"Europe was slightly more appealing in terms of being able to have that access. If you get through qualifying school, you are on a main tour."

Both golfers agreed getting through Q School to the European Tour would be life changing.

The recent financial windfall of more than $1 million won by fellow Kiwi Ryan Fox in Europe was something they would both dearly love to emulate.

"He has set the standard and is walking evidence it is right there. We almost speak of it as some really far out idea but I don't think it is. If you are committed to any pathway, whether you are going to be a doctor, or a lawyer or open your own business or play golf, then you find a way to make it happen," Toomey said.

"I mean truly committed. You just recreate opportunities. This is not do or die for us. Obviously, we are going to go over there with our full intention to get our European Tour card but if it doesn't happen we will come back and re-evaluate and find another opportunity."