THE stakes may be high for professional golfer Georgina Simpson when she tees off in the first Ladies European Tour event of the new season tomorrow – but she is determined to enjoy it.

The Cleckheaton honorary member embarks on her 15th year at elite level in the New Zealand Open at Christchurch before competing in the Ladies Masters at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast in Australia a fortnight later.

But the high costs associated with touring means she is uncertain where her future lies after that.

"I'll take it one step at a time and when I come back I'll decide what to do from there. I might have to get a job," admitted the Gomersal-based player, who did some temping at retailers Marks & Spencer in Birstall over the Christmas break to make sure the bills were paid.

"But if I do well enough in Australia and New Zealand, that might change."

Cleckheaton-born Simpson is proud of her long record on tour but claimed last season was probably her toughest.

Her game has been in transition over the last two years, having opted to change her swing under coach John Eyre. But securing sponsorship to cover expenses has been a bigger challenge.

Yet Simpson is determined to remain positive and hopes to benefit from a more relaxed attitude on the course in the weeks ahead.

"Last year I set myself targets and didn't enjoy it as much as I had been doing," she said.

"I'm just going to go and enjoy myself – not put myself under too much pressure – and once you do that, you tend to play better."

Simpson finished last season down in 116th on the European Order of Merit but is hopeful that her hard work on the practice ground with Eyre since she moved to Woodsome Hall from Huddersfield Golf Club will pay dividends, claiming "I'm swinging it better than I've ever swung it."

Having risen to prominence as a junior at her local club Cleckheaton, Simpson went on a golf scholarship at San Jose State University in America before turning professional.

She said: "It was one of the best things I have ever done but it was not the best thing for my golf swing.

"I picked up a lot of bad habits there – but I could play and compete as I have always been a good putter. But my swing deteriorated and I needed to change the basics of it."

Now Simpson, who turned 40 last year, is more confident in her game but admits making fundamental changes without the comfort zone of financial security has not been easy.

Writing in her blog, she says: "The basic truth is that we don't earn enough to pay for the expenses of travelling around the world ourselves. Even if you manage to get into the top 40 in Europe, you're not making enough."

By contrast, her male counterparts on the European Tour earn vastly larger amounts, with Simpson making the point it gives them more scope to focus purely on their game and pay for support networks made up of physios, psychologists, personal trainers and coaches.

She fears that lack of funding could deter young female professionals just starting out on tour. It is a stumbling block she hopes can be overcome, especially after witnessing the girls junior section at Cleckheaton – where they play for a trophy named after her – go from strength to strength in recent years.

"When I was a junior there, there were 70 boys and just me, but now the girls section is thriving," said Simpson.

She is looking forward to how far promising Cleck members Megan Clarke, Olivia Hamilton and Megan Lockett can go in the game.

But her immediate focus is on the New Zealand Open, which features some star names including world No 1 Lydia Ko and English all-time great Dame Laura Davies.

Simpson admits it would be "a sad day" if she has to give up touring. But she remains hopeful that day won't be coming soon.