Hampshire's most successful amateur golfer of the last five years is turning professional.

Twice county champion Darren Henley is joining the professional ranks during the winter when he'll play the Sunshine Tour in South Africa.

Henley's Stoneham clubmate Richard Bland recommended that he should find the sun and tune up his golf for next year's EuroProTour which the 23-year-old from Totton sees as a stepping stone into European tournament golf.

Bland and Henley are good friends and did some winter training in Florida last year. Bland went on to establish himself on the main European Tour and Henley's game has moved on to the extent where he feels he is ready to make a living from it.

"I could have another year on the amateur game and go for a Walker Cup slot," says Henley, "but to jump over players who are already in the training squad, I would have to win the British Amateur Championship.

"Do I hang around trying to do that, or do I try and establish myself as a professional? I'm 23 now and I think the time is right to move on."

Henley is coached at Botley Park by Tim Barter who has several European PGA players in his stable, including former Ryder Cup man Andrew Coltart as well as Bland and another top Hampshire player, Matt Blackey, who will be playing the main tour next year.

The Sunshine Tour takes in two European Tour events, the Alfred Dunhill Championship (won by Justin Rose last January) and the South African Open, both of which Henley will try to qualify for.

"I think I will have to qualify for most events on the Sunshine Tour," says Henley, "but if you can get into one and make a cut that automatically qualifies you for the next one.

"If I can get a few tournaments under my belt in South Africa, it should sharpen me up for the EuroProTour which is growing all the time.

"I think there will be a couple of events next season carrying a £20,000 first prize and, if you can finish high enough in the order of merit, you get a category for the Challenge Tour which I believe Martin Le Mesurier from Brokenhurst Manor has done."

Henley will have to go to qualifying school for the EuroProTour series which is based mainly in the UK but which takes in events in France and Portugal.

Henley, who plays off plus two, crowned his amateur career with victories in the Berkshire Trophy and the best score in the South East qualifying round for the County Championship two years ago.

Those performances earned him a call up to the England squad and he played in matches against Greece and Spain.

But he resolved to turn professional after helping Hampshire into this year's County Championship finals in which they finished second to Yorkshire.

He signed off for Hampshire in style by helping them retain the South East League title against BB&O last week.

His first bid to secure his European Tour card ended in disappointment last month when he finished two shots outside the qualifying cut at stage one of Tour School.

Four under after nine holes of his third round at Chart Hills, Henley was well in contention until he bogied three of his last six holes.

"It left me with too much to do in my last round," he said ruefully.