Matt Ford

I was born in Swindon, while my dad was playing professional football there. But we have lived in Bearsted, Kent for the majority of my life and now very happily with my fantastically supportive wife and 2 amazing children. Football was my first love and Glenn Hoddle was my idol! But golf quickly overtook football in our very competitive house. I started playing golf at 10 years of age at Marriott Tudor Park, but played the majority of my amateur golf from Bearsted G.C. getting my handicap to +3 and being selected for the England squads, but never gaining a cap. After A levels at Maidstone Grammar School I went to Cheltenham C.H.E. for 3 years and completed a Sport Science Degree. But I had a real desire to pursue golf and only really focused on that after my education. I turned professional at the end of 2003, at 25 years old and started my PGA training at Cobtree Manor Park. It was good to learn about the industry in such a busy place and be able to get out and play a bit. I managed to win the PGA National Assistants in my first year and played the PGA Championship at Wentworth, in 2005. This was amazing and really opened my eyes to where I wanted to be. With a mixture of PGA South Region, PGA Europro Tour and European Challenge Tour events over the 10 years I finally got my card at the Qualifying School at the end of 2014. Then with a 2nd place in the Africa Open and tied 7th in the Hong Kong Open, which was the last event, I secured my card for 2016 very late! Now I have an even more exciting year ahead.