European Tour: Liam Johnston goes from waiter to European Tour pro in a year

Johnston secured his card after finishing 17th in the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final

From waiting tables and winning £500 vouchers to £64,000 Kazakhstani hauls and a European Tour card, it's been quite a year for Liam Johnston.

The 25-year-old from Dumfries only turned professional at the end of 2017, believing he couldn't make it as a pro.

And after doing enough in the UAE at the weekend, the Challenge Tour golfer earned a Tour card for next year.

"I didn't feel I was good enough to play professionally," he told BBC Scotland.

"I worked for a couple years to fund my seasons, waiting at my local hotel and working behind the bar at night, and at a golf driving range during the day.

"I ended up having some good years after college at amateur level then just took the plunge to professional level."

• Four Scots secure European Tour card
• Johnston fulfils three-year plan in nine months

'£500 vouchers to £64,000 jackpots'

The "plunge" paid off enormously for Johnston, whose recent prize money included £64,000 for first place at the Kazakhstan Open in September.

That is a far cry from the amateur tournaments the Dumfries golfer was used to.

"I played amateur golf for so long, where the biggest prize you could get was a £500 voucher, so to end up winning £64,000 in Kazakhstan is kind of incredible," he admitted.

"This is a dream come true. At the start of the season, I was just trying to get my Challenge Tour card for the year - to get the European Tour card is brilliant and I can't wait to get going."

Johnston has been joined by Grant Forrest, Robert MacIntyre and David Law in securing a card over the past week.