JOSH Davies has decided to take the plunge and make the move into golf’s professional ranks.

The 21-year-old from Undy, who plays out of the Celtic Manor, will continue to be coached by 1987 British amateur champion Paul Mayo.

Davies was actually 11 when Newport’s Mayo first started coaching him, and since then the former has flourished in the amateur game.

This year, by his own admission, hasn’t been the best for Davies, but he felt now was the right time to turn pro.

He is looking to finish his current job at American Golf in Bristol in December, although by then he would have already played his first few tournaments as a professional.

First up in October there are TP Tour events in Surrey and Berkshire, before Davies flies out to Spain for a month early next year to compete on the Algarve Pro Tour.

It’s a step into the unknown for Davies, who will also be managed by Mayo, but he is adamant he has made the right decision.

“I’ve played in the amateur events for a good three or four years and it’s time to move on now,” he said.

“It’s obviously going to be an exciting experience and one I’m really looking forward to.

“I played in a PGA EuroPro Tour (two rungs below the European Tour) event at the Celtic Manor in 2015 and loved how everything was run.

“I’m going to start by playing some TP Tour events which are basically one-day shootouts.

“I want to get used to playing for money and I think these events are the best way to start.

“I’m looking to get the most experience I can before trying for a place on the EuroPro Tour – the qualifying is in March.

“Me and Paul will go to Spain at the end of January or beginning of February, and I’m hoping to start the year strong.

“It’s all about learning the ropes because it’s going to be completely different to what I was doing.

“I haven’t really set myself a time limit for what I want to do, I’ll just see how things go and take as much as I can from Paul because he’s done so much in golf.”

He added: “I’ve had a tough year and some people have said I probably shouldn’t be turning pro now, but they don’t understand everything that’s going on.

“I had three wins in 2015 and three in 2016, so you can’t just ignore that.

“I’ve had a reasonably strong end to the season and I think I’m capable of doing well in the pro ranks.

“The European Tour is the ultimate aim but that’s going to be very tough to get on.

“But I’ll keep plugging away at my game and see what happens.”

While Davies has a lot to thank Mayo for, he is also hugely grateful for the help of psychologist Ross Hall, who came on board two years ago.