HAMPSHIRE will have an exciting new presence on the European Ladies' Tour next year.

New Milton's 21-year-old Natalie Booth narrowly missed out on her full playing rights for the 2005, but did enough at Tour School last week to earn a place in over half of next season's European events.

The expanding European Tour is expected to run with over 20 events, so Natalie is looking forward to a busy enough baptism.

The former Hampshire champion earned the right to play on the European stage by finishing 42nd at Tour School in Southern Italy.

The top 30 earned full playing rights and those down to 50th place were awarded a conditional card.

Natalie was left with the choice of retaining her amateur status or turning professional and taking the limited number of starts.

"There were no real doubts in my mind," said Natalie. "In amateur golf you tend to play for a team, usually your county; now I'm going to play for myself and that will be good for me.

"I'm competitive by nature. Competition brings the best out of me and playing on the European Tour is what I have been working for."

A spell on the American Collegiate circuit sharpened Natalie as a player and as a person. "The playing standards were high and the format was similar to what I'll face on the Tour.

"You had to score well over three or four rounds to be successful. So I learned to become more consistent and I also learned to be more positive. One thing they don't encourage in America is to be down on yourself."

Natalie won the Hampshire Championship as a 17 year old, but she looked a transformed player when she returned home early this summer.

She only played four ELGA events but finished 19th in the order of merit thanks to a top ten finish in the English Strokeplay Championship and a quarter-final appearance in the English Amateur.

A blistering round of 67 in the English Strokeplay event at Woodhall Spa convinced Natalie she had the game to compete at a high level.

She cruised through the first stage of Tour School with scores of 72 and 71. But her caddy couldn't stay on for the second stage and suddenly being on her own unnerved her going into the first round where she shot a shaky 78.

But she followed up with 72 and 74 to go into the last round in 30th place. But a drive out of bounds at the third cost her a two-stroke penalty and that was the margin by which she missed her full card.

"I frittered away a few other silly shots, but that's golf," said Natalie. "What got to me more than anything in that last round was the fact that I was starting to feel pretty tired. We were playing a very tight golf course at Tessali and there was no margin for error."

She had done the hard part, though, by making the cut for the last 50 and guaranteeing her conditional card.

"Speaking to some of the girls who have played on the Tour, there is a crossover between the LPGA and European Tour. When some of the top women go over to America it frees up a few extra places in Europe and hopefully that will get me a few more starts," said Natalie.

She doesn't expect to figure in the big early-season Australian events, but there could be an opening or two when the Tour moves into Asia.