As he enters the business end of the season on the Challenge Tour Garrick is in determined mood to achieve his goal for the season. Currently sitting 43rd on the Road to Oman (RTO) represents a decent position at this stage on his first full season on tour. However, he realises that more work is needed if he is to bridge the gap to achieve European Tour status.

That challenge starts this week as he travels to Finland to play in the GANT Open at the Aura Golf Club in Turku. Disappointingly, he misses out on the prestigious Rolex Trophy in Geneva the following week by five places on the RTO. However, as one door closes another one opens and he has secured a trip to Denmark, to play in the Made in Denmark on the European Tour starting on 20th August 2015. This is an event he played last year and after two good rounds he played the third round in the company of tour veteran Thomas Bjorn. He is hoping that experience will inspire another good performance.

It's then back to the Challenge Tour in early September. Two very lucrative events follow, being staged in France and Kazakhstan. Garrick is still very upbeat about life on tour and is enjoying the challenge of competing, travelling and developing his game. The dream lives on.

Garrick's season on the European Challenge Tour is making steady progress. Four cuts made in a row, two top ten finishes and 16 rounds of par or better in the last four tournaments, currently have him placed 27th on the Road to Oman.

Turkey saw the first signs of some good golf. Garrick shot 70-70-71-69 (-8) to finish 8th and really get his season underway. After a week off and some further work with Graham Walker his coach, he was challenging again in Austria. Four great rounds of 66-67-71-65 (-15) saw him finish 11th at the Karnten Golf Open.

He followed this up with a further top ten finish (9th) at the D+D Real Czech Challenge a week later. Again, four solid round 67-69-72-69 (-11) shows that his game is getting more consistent.

Learning to play well over four rounds is the key to finishing high on the leader board. Garrick is making steady progress towards that goal. It's now a week off to recharge the batteries before three weeks on the road in Belgium, France and Scotland.

Garrick's artistic flair has taken on a new direction with the development of his own YouTube site. After portraying his journey through golf and other sports in his first video, he has turned his attention to reviewing his Challenge Tour exploits in 2015. His latest video captures the Turkish Airlines Challenge and can be found at Garrick Porteous

In terms of Garrick's golfing performance this year he is really beginning to find some form and momentum. The Turkish Airlines Challenge saw him finish 8th with four rounds under par 70-70-71-69. The signs are good as he embarks on five events in the next six weeks across Europe.

Garrick hopes to continue giving an insight into life as a tour player through his YouTube link.

The Challenge Tour for 2015 is finally getting into full swing. Madeira in March brought high winds and rain that led to the cancellation of the event and it is rescheduled for July this year. Garrick next ventured to Nairobi for the Kenya Open that saw him narrowly miss the cut. Despite hitting the ball well he couldn't quite handle the altitude and with that, the distances the ball traveled.

Madrid was next on the schedule and it brought some early season signs that the game is going in the right direction. He made the cut, had four rounds par or better and signed for 21 birdies in the week. Fewer mistakes would have seen him finish well up the leader board.

In and around practicing, training and getting ready for the season, Garrick has been working on a video to highlight his journey in golf and life so far. His love for art, design, and graphics are clearly evident and it keeps him busy when the weather is poor in the UK. The link is: Who Am I? Garrick Porteous

'The Dream' lives on and the journey continues at the Turkish Airlines Challenge at the Gloria golf Club, Antalya 7-10th May 2015.

Garrick Porteous has agreed an attachment with the brand new golf academy at Longhirst Hall Golf Club near Morpeth, Northumberland. The academy, being backed by former England cricketer Steve Harmison, is due to open on 26th March 2015.

Garrick, 25, the 2013 British Amateur champion and Challenge Tour player, will have free use of the facilities as he continues to establish himself in the professional ranks. The Northumberland native, who was in action at the recent Madeira Islands Open, said: "I used to go down there as a youngster and I've seen the club evolve so I'm delighted to be linking up with them. The facilities are going to be brilliant and I'm very excited about it. It's right on my doorstep and hopefully, with Steve on board, it can have a big influence throughout the North East."

Steve Harmison, who, like Garrick, is represented by International Sport Management, believes that having a professional working at the academy on a daily basis will help his plans to get local youngsters into the sport.

He said: "Garrick will have the chance to be himself and I know he will feel comfortable working at Longhirst. It will be a chance for kids in the area to come and watch someone who is starting his professional career and hopefully see him rise through the Challenge Tour to the European Tour first hand. He'll get the best possible preparation with us and I'm sure it's something that can work for everyone."

Garrick and Steve opened the new academy and driving range on Thursday 26th March 2015 and more information can be found at Longhirst Golf Club

Garrick�s season on the European Challenge Tour started in Madeira with high expectations. His first round 72 contained six birdies and plenty of positive signs that his game was in good shape. However, it was the weather that was the winner leaving all the players, officials and sponsors thoroughly frustrated. High winds and heavy rain meant that only one round could be completed and as a result the tournament was declared null and void.

The Madeira Islands Open is a 'major' on the Challenge Tour schedule due to the prize money available and it is a joint event on the full European Tour. The organisers have moved quickly to reschedule the event for 30th July 2015.

Garrick had warmed up for Madeira by playing three events on the Jamega Tour in Portugal. He placed third in one event and had four rounds out of six under par. It gave him an opportunity to test out his game in a competitive environment and practice hard for the bigger tournaments to come this year.

Garrick's next event is the Barclays Kenya Open in Nairobi on 9th April. In the meantime, there is a visit to Wentworth and Taylor Made for new club fitting, as well as some work with his coach Graham Walker to fine tune his game. He is hoping that the sun will shine in Kenya and he can really get his season started.

Garrick's 2015 season starts next week on 19th February as he competes in the Dimensions Data Pro-Am at Fancourt in South Africa. This is a key event on the Sunshine Tour and there will be a significant number of European and South African professionals competing. Full coverage is available at The Sunshine Tour

After a good winter period resting up, training hard and recent warm weather practice in Florida, Garrick is really excited to get his season underway. His main focus this year is the European Challenge Tour which is reflected in his playing schedule for 2015. His aim is to try and finish in the top 15 places of the order of merit for the Challenge Tour this year in order to secure a European card for 2016.

His schedule will take him to a number of countries, but unlike last year, he can plan and allow time for rest, practice and recuperation. He is hoping it will be a good year building on all his experiences from 2014 and he will be really working hard to achieve his dream.

European Tour School qualification is one of the most arduous selection processes in any sport. In 2014, 924 players started across three stages, which ranks fourth in the list of most entrants. At the end of 14 gruelling rounds of golf only 27 players secured their European Tour card!

Garrick’s journey began back in September at The Roxburghe golf club in Kelso. He played solid golf to finish 6th with scores of 71-68-69-71 (-9). He was on his way to stage two.

Stage two commenced on 7th November and saw Garrick playing at Lumine Golf and Beach Resort, Tarragona, Spain. He opened with a 67 (-4) to be tied for third after round one. An uncharacteristic 77 (+6) in round two meant he dropped out of contention and the pressure was really on for the final two rounds. Garrick’s ‘never give in’ attitude saw him rally to shoot 64-67 (-11) in rounds three and four to finish tied 14th and earn his place at final stage.

Stage three is held at PGA Catalunya near Girona and is played over the demanding stadium course and the shorter tour course. Garrick only had two days recovery after his stage two exploits before he began preparing for stage three.

It is a marathon event. After four rounds (two on each course) there is a cut and the top 70 and ties play a further two rounds on the iconic stadium course. Garrick’s hopes of making the cut and realising his dream looked very slim as he opened with and 80 (+8) on the stadium course. However, his ability to bounce back is unquestionable, as he produced three great rounds of 64-69-69 (-10) to make the cut comfortably. The final rounds did not match the previous three, but one of Garrick’s goals was achieved by playing all six rounds. He secured category 9 status for the European Challenge Tour for 2015 and can look forward to a very competitive schedule.

Garrick’s first eight months as a professional have been rewarding and fulfilling. The last three weeks have exemplified that at stage two and three Q School. He has developed as a golfer and is getting better all the time. He was one of only 17 golfers (out of 924) who played all 14 rounds at Q School. He is looking forward to 2015 and the Dream Lives On!

After three successful weeks on the European Tour in August and his first top 10 finish in The D+D Real Czech Masters, Garrick continued his good form into Stage 1 of the European Tour Qualifying School at The Roxburghe, Kelso. Rounds of 71-68-69-71 (-9) saw him finish 6th and successfully move to Stage 2 in Spain in early November.

After his exploits he took some much needed down time to recharge his batteries. Now, he has added impetus to start working on his game again with an invite to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. This is one of the premier events on the European Tour and the tournament is played over the links of Carnoustie, Kings Barns and The Old Course, St Andrews and starts on 2nd October 2014. Once again, this will be great experience for Garrick playing in a star-studded field of professionals and celebrities.

Immediately following this tournament Garrick flies to America to compete in the Hamptons Invitational, New York. This will be a good opportunity to sharpen his game ahead of the Web.com Tour Stage 1 qualifying which takes place from 14th October at Callaway Gardens (Mountain Course), Pine Mountain, Georgia.

Garrick’s first goal is to try and qualify for the European Tour in 2015 but golf is a tough business and he is keeping his options open with his venture to America. So far, 2014 has been very positive for Garrick and he will be doing all he can to ensure it ends on a high.

Garrick Porteous achieved his first top 10 finish on the European Tour by finishing 9th in the D+D Real Czech Masters at the Albatross Golf resort near Prague. Garrick opened with rounds of 70-67 (-7) that meant he played in the second last group out in round three. He scored 72-73 (+1) at the weekend and dealt with the pressure and expectation very well. Garrick was delighted with his overall performance that clearly demonstrated his development and improvement this year.

The momentum had begun the week before at the Made In Denmark tournament near Aalborg. Garrick had started very promisingly shooting 72-69 (-3) in the first two rounds but high winds, tough conditions and playing with the local favourite Thomas Bjorn over the weekend saw him fade to 51st position. However, it was another cut made and invaluable experience gained over the weekend that will serve him well in future tournaments as demonstrated in Prague.

His reward for 9th place in Prague is an automatic spot in the 71° Open D’Italia at the Circolo Golf in Torino, Italy from 28-31st August.