A GOLF prodigy was made an offer he couldn’t refuse as he chases the American dream.

Star in the making Matty Lamb (17), a member at Hexham Golf Club for the past 10 years, will become a Charlotte 49er in the summer after signing a 100 per cent golf scholarship with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

As terms of the major deal, the university will foot the bill for Matty’s travel, accommodation, university fees and golfing equipment during the four-year spell Stateside.

More importantly, his stay in America will provide him with better access to world class golfing facilities and courses and a better standard of opposition as the current A Level student at Hexham‘s Queen Elizabeth High School aims to join fellow Tynedaler Chris Paisley, from Mickley Square, on the European Tour.

Matty said: “It is rare for people to get 100 per cent scholarships, and it was an offer I couldn’t turn down.

“It felt really good that they were willing to put so much faith in me by offering that type of contract, and that gives me a lot of motivation to go out there and be the best player and prove I’m worth what they are giving me.

“When I visited the university for a couple of days last month, there were four to five world class golf courses within half an hour and everything was really impressive.

“Golf is a massive sport in the college and a lot of that comes down to the past success there, so I’m looking forward to being part of that.

“I wasn’t sure whether a scholarship was for me up until the last minute, but I don’t think I will be able to progress in England as much as I can in the US.

“The weather and facilities over here mean I won’t have the access to golf I need to get where I want to be, and this opportunity was too good to pass up.”

Matty headed out to America for a week in October to visit Charlotte and the University of Central Florida to consider which college suited him best.

And it was the call of the 49ers which appealed to him most, particularly as they were prepared to offer him the world.

The Hexham golfer, who has been a member of the England U19 Boys’ squad for the past three seasons, is convinced that it is here where he can hone his exceptional skills and push on in his bid to make it as a professional.

He has good form, a previous winner of the international Henry Cooper Junior Masters and the youngest winner of the Northumberland County Men’s 72-hole stroke play championship at the age of 15.

Highlights this year include victory in the Dixon Cup and a seventh placed finish in the English Men’s Amateur.

Matty said: “I have a lot of choices about which subject I can major in, but to be honest I am not going there for the academic side of things but to concentrate on my golf.

“Over there, I will play against some of the best amateur and college players in the world week in, week out, and that should bring out the best in me.

“At the end of it all, hopefully I will be ready to be a professional golfer.

“I look at Chris Paisley and there’s some of his qualities I can definitely take on, particularly his work ethic and how he handles himself on tour.

“If I can work as hard as he has, hopefully I will be playing against him in future years!”

Over the years, Matty has struck up a good relationship with Chris through brother Andy Paisley, who has been the head professional at Hexham for the past seven years.

Matty states highly regarded coach Andy has been pivotal in his development, and is planning on keeping in regular contact with him while in America so he can still continue to get tips and advice from back home.

Andy is delighted with the opportunity presented to his protege, and said it looked like the right step for the teenager looking to crack the international stage.

He said: “A scholarship is something I have wanted Matty to do for a while and I think what he is missing is a bit of life experience.

“He needs to go out there and fend for himself and work hard. Travelling on his own and living on his own will only help him adjust to the lifestyle he will lead if he makes it on the tour.

“I noticed with Chris when he came back from the University of Tennessee, that he was not just a better golfer, but also a better person.

“Matty has so much ability and skills, and he works so hard, but just to be able to go over there and grow up and not have everything done for him is going to be so important in his golf development.

“He is ready to do this because he has worked so hard for it, and he has an amazing opportunity to become a real top player. He is as good a prospect as anybody in the North-East, and he deserves this chance.”