A GOLF professional, who grew up in Halesowen, has been named runner-up in a national award.

Former Cradley High School pupil, Lee Marshall, came second in the UK after winning the Professional Golfers' Association west region’s leading assistant award three years on the trot.

He was presented with a total cash prize of £3,000 plus £550 worth of coaching software at the PGA’s Titleist Footjoy Awards.

The 29-year-old, formerly of Banners Lane, is the senior professional at Bristol’s Thornbury Golf Centre, and battled against the odds after a ruptured disc in his back threatened to end his golfing career a decade ago.

He had been training at the Belfry, but was forced to quit and took up a graphic design course at Bristol, applying at Thornbury for a bar job.

But he was set to work in the pro shop instead and enrolled on the PGA’s three-year foundation degree, leading his peers for top honours in the region each year.

“I feel overwhelmed and slightly surprised. I thought the first and second year wins were possible flukes but I worked really hard in the third year to get the hat-trick. To be second in the country is unbelieveable,” he said.

And no-one is more proud of his achievement than granddad David Marshall, aged 72, of Banners Lane, who introduced him to golf.