DANIEL Lord is dreaming of Open glory -- and taking home a monster cheque!

The Pleasington-attached professional goes to regional qualifying at Alwoodley in Leeds on Monday knowing that, even though the Open is diversion from his mapped out career path, it is a diversion that cannot be ignored.

"The Open is an opportunity to become very rich in just a couple of weeks," said the 28-year-old, who lives in Rimington.

"It is not unfeasible to think you might qualify, make the cut and then finish in the top 15, taking £40,000 home with you.

"Paul (Dwyer) could have made the cut last year and that would have opened up more doors for him. He would be playing on the European Tour now.

"It is an opportunity that only comes once a year. Between this and tour school this is as good as it gets, you just can't wait and every one will feel the same."

Lord has been competing on the Mastercard and Challenge Tours this season and thinks he has as good a chance as ever to make it through the two rounds of qualifying.

But he knows if he doesn't make it, it is not the end of the world.

"I'm in this for the long-term, I am not thinking if I don't do it this year that will be the end," he said.

"You have to keep plugging away and hope things work out," he said.

"I don't feel the pressure at all because I have a long term view of what I'm doing with my golf.

"I have been trying to play full-time for a couple of years now, going on the Mastercard Tour then the Challenge Tour.

"It's a progressive thing.

"You have to climb the ladder each step at a time, like Paul has done, and then when you acclimatise to each stage you realise you are just as capable as everyone else there and you step up again.

"I don't put pressure on myself, I just prepare the best I can."

And doing well in the Open this year would be vindication for that preparation.

"To make it would show me that the effort and preparation I'd put in had paid off.

"Being able to practice at Pleasington has helped me and it has been good to work here with Ged (Furey).

"Being able to use the facilities herehas really helped me improve.

"My practice has been more thorough and my results have shown that. In fact, these are good times for Pleasington at the moment with Gid doing so well and Michael (Hunt) who works in the shop with him doing so well."

Lord has progressed past regional qualifying several times but has never got through the final stage.

He is hoping this will be his year and Alwoodley is one of his favourite courses.

"I have played at Alwoodley a few times because that's where my coach, Dennis Sheehy, lives.

"I played at Moortown in qualifying and to play there was great but Alwoodley is a course I like even more."