ANDY Blythe looks remarkably relaxed for somebody who has just taken the biggest gamble of his life.

Having quit his £30,000-a-year executive job in January, the 28-year-old Teessider has just two months to prove himself on the professional golf circuit before his money runs out.

Excessive tournament tolls and travelling expenses have already bitten deep into his meagre savings and after some careful planning he has worked out that he can afford to play in only three to four unsuccessful tournaments before he will be forced to give up his golfing dream.

"No doubt about it, I am heaping massive pressure on myself," he said, sounding more like somebody facing a tough putt to win a four-ball with his mates than somebody staring at the most important two months of his career.

"This is a massive gamble, but I feel I have something to prove to not only my friends and family who have stood by me, but also to myself."

Yet this is not simply Blythe spirit, far from it. Such a stark reality, in which the outcome is so firmly black or white, has brought out the competitor in Blythe and an unswerving confidence borne out of two years at the top of his game.

He is the current Durham County Player of the Year and the reigning Teesside and District League matchplay champion. Last year he also made a significant personal breakthrough by capturing the Eaglescliffe title for the first time.

He gushes when he talks about winning the championship at the club where he spent his formative years, but it is his new club, Wynyard, that is now foremost in his mind.

A popular haunt of Premiership footballers, current and retired, with time on their hands - Niall Quinn is putting out on the 18th green as we speak - it is here that Blythe's journey begins on Wednesday with the opening qualifier to the EuroPro Tour. The second qualifier is in Devon a week later.

It is also the place where Blythe has spent the last few months practising, courtesy of Academy director Andrew Nicholson.

And after having full access to what he calls "the best golf practise facilities in the region", Blythe believes he is ready to prove himself on both the EuroPro and Elite Pro Tours.

"I made the switch from Eaglescliffe to Wynyard purely for my golfing benefit," said Blythe, who ended his first spell as a professional five years ago after joining the North-East and North-West PGA tour as a promising 17-year-old.

"The whole place is geared towards golf development and the course is very long, much like that on the PGA circuit.

"The fact that the first qualifier for the EuroPro is at Wynyard is helpful, but since I've been here I have become more consistent in my ball striking and my course management has improved a lot.

"I can also play shots here that I simply couldn't do at Eaglescliffe because the par fours are much longer."

Yet despite the obvious benefits to his game, the cost of travelling from his home in Eaglescliffe to the Wynyard Estate every day is starting to take its toll.

Mortgage and Visa bills are becoming harder to pay, but if that wasn't deflating enough, he has to share a clubhouse with members not exactly struggling to make ends meet.

A sponsor wouldn't go amiss, but rather than feeling envious, Blythe admits that the wealth at the club has merely made him more determined to succeed.

"To be honest it inspires me to be around this place. Driving in every day past the big, expensive houses gives me something to strive for," he said.

"The thing about Wynyard is that it is all about success; the people, the atmosphere.

"I think it can only be a good thing to be around and hope that some of that success rubs off on me."