If Darryl Berry played any other sport but golf, he would probably earn a living from it.

Berry, 24, from Clayton, who represented England for the first time in February in Cadiz in a friendly tournament, is close to winning his first international cap.

He is currently ranked in the top 20 and is a member of the England 'A' squad of 12 - the players who back up the so-called "elite" squad.

But he is still searching for that elusive sponsor.

"I played quite well in Cadiz," said Berry. "But I have limited practice compared with the players from the elite squad. They have had warm-weather training. And any sponsorship tends to go to them.

"We beat Germany and Finland and Spain defeated us in the final.

"It was a friendly but to be selected from the 'A' Squad 12 to play is good. It was a nice match to get under my belt."

Despite a burning ambition to turn professional, he hasn't the funds to do it... yet.

"As an amateur I get no financial help - a few golf balls and that's about it. My best hope would be for a management company to come in so you need to get yourself noticed."

Berry, a member of West Bradford with a +2 handicap, certainly did that last season. Apart from winning the Yorkshire Amateur County Championship, beating England international Jonathan Lupton in a sudden-death play-off, he was a member of the Yorkshire team that won the English County Championship.

And last year he was close to qualifying for the Open Championship.

"Playing in the Open would have been great. I have been in the final qualifying stage for the past four years now.

"It is nice to go there and be treated like a god. You are playing against people you want to be. It feels as though that is where I belong."

Berry won his Yorkshire title by stroking in a 22-yard putt, so it's ironic that he is having a problem or two at the moment with that side of his game.

"It's just down to confidence," he said. "Golf is about mind games and I like that side of the sport."

He is helped by Yorkshire coach Graham Walker, and Pete Cowan, who has worked with the Lee Westwood's of this world.

Berry is not short of confidence. "I believe everything is performance-related. It will all come to you in time. You are going to get seen if you play well."

Watch this space...