LYMM golfer Tom Murray has new goals now he has earned his maiden European Tour card.

Since turning professional in 2009, the 24-year-old’s aim has been to join the golfing elite on the Race to Dubai.

And after three years spent gaining his teaching qualification and two years travelling the globe on the lower-tier Challenge Tour, his first goal will be realised properly today, Thursday, when he tees off in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek in South Africa.

The ambitious former Lymm High School student, who started out as a junior at Lymm Golf Club, is now setting his sights higher.

“Once you get on the tour, the next goal is to win and then win multiple times, not just hang about and plod along,” said Murray, the son of 1989 European Open winner Andrew Murray.

“You’ve got to kick on and yes I want to win. I want to set my goals high.”

Murray acknowledges he needs to work even harder and is also realistic.

He has gained his card in a short space of time and done so through his quality performances in the three stages of Qualification School at the back end of the 2014 season.

His final position on the Challenge Tour in both 2013 and 2014 was lower than he would have liked, 100th in 2013 and 110th this year.

“Absolutely the number one goal for this year is to keep my card so I don’t have to go back through ‘Q’ School,” he said.

“Who knows, I might win in my first year but that’s not a realistic goal. I want to keep my card and build on that.

“To keep my card, I’ve got to finish in the top 110 in the money list. To do that you have to earn about 250,000 Euros and if you miss that then it’s back to Qualifying School.”

The way he handled the pressure at Qualifying School, finishing joint 10th at the PGA Catalunya Resort in Girona, Spain, in the final competition, should give him confidence in South Africa.

“Somebody told me a little stat,” said Murray.

“There were more winners of European Tour events at the final stage of qualifying than there were on the European Tour event going on at the same time in Turkey.

“So the standard and depth of talent is incredible. It was such a pressurised situation for six days. I was proud of myself with the way that I dealt with that.

“Two years of trying on the Challenge Tour and then succeeding is not a long time in these circles. It’s come quite soon for me really.”

He tees off in South Africa at 10.10am today, Thursday, going round with England's Jason Barnes, ranked 15th on the Challenge Tour last season, and Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, who came throough Qualifying School with Murray.