NORTHCLIFFE member Jordan Clements was just 36 holes from qualifying for The Open earlier this week but found the challenge of the fearsome Royal Porthcawl course too much to overcome.

The 26-year-old has been a professional golfer for over a year now and admitted his round at regional qualifying in Goswick the week before was his “best as a pro”, allowing him to make it through to that latter stage.

Reflecting on his mission to make it to Royal Liverpool later this month, former Bradford Open winner Clements said: “I found the practice round at Porthcawl difficult then I just couldn’t hole my putts over the two rounds.

“I went through it with my coach and I probably lost 11 or 12 strokes on putting alone.

“Basically not holing anything for two rounds made the difference.”

He added: “It’s an amazing course, but a hard one that was long and tight.

“If you missed the fairway it was so penalising.

“There were deep bunkers too and it was difficult to navigate. The par-fours you often had to use long irons not your driver and it wasn’t easy going into the wind.”

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Jordan Clements enjoyed success from an early age, winning the Bradford Open at 19, and is determined to get to The Open one day.Jordan Clements enjoyed success from an early age, winning the Bradford Open at 19, and is determined to get to The Open one day. (Image: UGC.)

But he will always have Goswick, with Clements saying: “I came out for my round at 8:30am, so I had an eight hour wait to see if I’d made it through or not.

“To come tied for fourth (on two under) was super good and it was my best competitive round as a pro.

“It was an experience I’d definitely like to have again in the near future.

“You had to go and be aggressive as you only had that one chance, and knew that shooting two or three over would get you nowhere, so it was a case of go hard or go home.”

When the T&A last spoke to Clements, he had only just turned professional, whereas he now has plenty of experience under his belt on the circuit.

He said: “That first year was a massive adjustment and learning experience and I learnt a lot more than I thought I would.

“I’ve settled into life as a pro now though, I feel like I’m finding my feet and I’ve had some good results.

“I’ve got the remainder of the season on the Clutch Pro Tour now and then in January I’m off out to Portugal for their Pro Tour.”

Despite those incredible experiences at home and abroad, Clements has not lost sight of the importance of people and places closer to home.

He said: “I’ve had unbelievable support from my fiancée and my family, which means a lot as being a pro is a huge sacrifice.

“The other Northcliffe members have been backing me all the way too, and I found it quite overwhelming, all their messages of support after I got through at Goswick.”