A WORLD renowned big-hitter from the North-East has put tour golf on hold this week ahead of heading to Oklahoma in a bid to strike the perfect tee shot.

Rebecca McGinley will fly to the United States on Saturday to take part in the American Golf World Long Drive Championships for the second year in a row on Tuesday.

It has meant opting out of appearing in the latest LET Access Series event at Stoke by Nayland, the WPGA International Challenge, because it could clash with her flight to Oklahoma.

“The final day of this week’s event is Saturday, so it would be just my luck if I played out of my skin and ended up challenging on the final day when I was due to fly to America!” said McGinley.

“I have driven down anyway and I am going to be here until Friday, caddying for one of the girls, Charlotte Thompson. Then I will head to America at the weekend, I’m looking forward to it … it should be good.”

Twelve months ago McGinley finished third in the World Long Drive Championship, having become national UK champion in her debut year as a professional. She has repeated the feat this time with her 318-yard blast at Cheshire’s High Legh Golf Club.

The experience of a second year should help the Wearside Golf Club golfer, who hails from Prudhoe, when she tries to better her achievement next week.

“There will be a field of up to 16 competing on Tuesday from around the world,” said McGinley. “I know there will be competition from America, Sweden, South Africa and Japan.

“Last year it was all new to me really, it was only my second long drive event. This time I will be going there knowing more about the occasion, and I have done more golf days and events.”

McGinley’s biggest hit from the tee stands at 345 yards. When she plays on Tuesday she will aim to drive through a grid spray painted 50 yards wide, standing 400 yards long.

“The aim is to keep inside the grid to count and there are six golf balls per round, and you have three minutes to hit your six balls,” said the 24-year-old.

Being crowned the UK champion, and the third longest hitting lady in the world, has led to a number of invitations to events across the country as her profile has grown.

Last month she was invited down to the Belfry as part of the American Golf weekend where she was one of the special guests in attendance; while she has also made appearances in golf days across the country.

“A lot of people have asked me to do things, like charity days, and it has been really good,” she said. “It’s just making sure everything fits into the schedule because the aim is to make it on to the main Tour.

“I don’t think I have adapted to playing on the Access Tour like a duck to water, this is my second year, but I have learned how to cope with the pressures more and there is a lot of that when you are out there.

“I want to progress and keep developing and hopefully these first two years of playing on the tour – as well as the experiences of the golf days and the Long Drive Championships – will help me.”

McGinley, who started to play when she was 13, turned pro in December 2014 and before that she had won the Durham Junior Championships. She was also the leading qualifier at the English Northern Ladies Championship earlier that year.

Earlier this season she finished tied eighth at the PGA Halmstad Ladies Open at Haverdal after an impressive third round 67.