Golfer Matt Ford has realised his career ambition of making the European Tour in Catalunya last week.

Ford’s success is remarkable given he struggled for form on the Challenge Tour, finishing 91st.

Short of money and frustrated with his form, the Bearsted golfer was on the verge of snubbing the European Tour Qualifying School in favour of a part-time job with the Royal Mail.

But a chat with wife Suzie and a credit card changed all that.

Ford, 36, said: “Going into the second stage of Q School, I wasn’t 100% sure I would enter.

“From a financial point of view, I wasn’t in a great place and I had to pay the entry on a credit card.

“It definitely got to a point where I wasn’t going to do it. I missed a cut in Oman by one shot having double-bogeyed the last.

“Deadline was close for Q School and my frame of mind was ‘that’s it, I’m not going to bother. I’ll just play local golf instead’.

“My wife, Suzie, convinced me otherwise – I’ll be hearing about that for a while!

“I thought I should give myself a chance and decided to take a gamble.”

Ford built momentum during the second stage in Spain and was playing well by the time he made the two-hour drive to Catalunya for the gruelling six-round final stage.

Aiming simply to make the cut for the first time, Ford surprised everyone by topping the leaderboard after four rounds.

He beat the nerves in rounds five and six to finish fourth with a 15-under total of 413. The top 27 qualified.

Ford said: “It probably didn’t hit me until after I’d signed my card after the last round and one of the European Tour guys asked me how I felt.

“At the point I couldn’t speak – I completely dried up. How do you answer that question?

“For 10 or 11 years I’d been trying to achieve it and suddenly I’d done it. I’d been trying not to think about it and finally being able to, emotionally it was too much.

“I’ve sailed through in the end, by seven or eight shots. I had loads of room to spare but it was still stressful and emotional."

Ford can look forward to automatic entry into 20-25 European Tour events.

There’s big money to be made competing with the star names in golf.

Ford said: “Everything’s changed overnight. I’ve gone from going for the part-time Royal Mail job, which everyone’s latched on to, to playing for million-pound prize funds. I mentioned in a blog I had to line up a job to earn money through the winter as I hadn’t made enough on the Challenge Tour.

“I have a young family and had to do something.

“I got the job but I had to say ‘sorry, I’ve found myself some other work.’

“I should get 20-25 European Tour events which gives me a good opportunity to secure my card again.

“You have to make the top 110 on the Order of Merit which this year was €240,000.

“The earnings potential is the biggest thing for me, which brings its own pressure.

“It’s difficult to make a living on the Challenge Tour. The European Tour is where the money is and I’m at the stage in my life where that’s an important factor."