SEAN MCDONAGH has a double mission in the land of his mother's birth during the next seven weeks.

He wants to win the £35,000 54-hole Welsh Professional Championship that started at Pyle and Kenfig today.

Failing that he hopes to amass enough order of merit points to qualify to represent Wales in the European Team championships at Atalaya Park, Spain, in December.

The leading two players in the Welsh order of merit, plus a wild card choice, make up the team. The highest points earned in three of the four Wales order of merit tournaments count.

Rushmore Park pro McDonagh shot to the top of the Welsh order of merit after his first major win in the PGA West and Wales region.

The 28-year-old Canford Heath resident and former Broadstone amateur won the Racecourse Garage Welsh Masters in a six-man play-off at the Marriott St Pierre course.

He regularly plays in the Welsh Professional Championship as his mother and maternal grandparents come from Maesteg.

He said: "I'm playing nicely this year and winning at St Pierre has worked wonders for my confidence. I feel my career is moving upwards."

His second goal is to finish in the top four of the West Region order of merit. That would attract an invitation to the Wales Open at Celtic Manor next August.

The top two players also play in the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth.

The next of the remaining three order of merit tournaments is on one of his favourite courses. The West Region Championship, being sponsored this year by Satelcom, is being held for the second year at The Dorset on September 24-26.

He was an assistant professional when the course was known as East Dorset.

The final events are the £20,000 South Wales Open at Newport from October 1-3 - funded by the successful Welsh 2010 Ryder Cup bid - and the Leekes Welsh Classic from October 15-17 at the Vale of Glamorgan.

McDonagh has played on the Europro Tour this summer with mixed success. He finished in the middle of the field at East Sussex last week when he slumped to a closing 75 after starting strongly with 66 and 70.

Martin Le Mesurier (Brokenhurst Manor) was joint second and won £3,750 while Lee Thompson (Dudsbury) earned £500 for 17th spot (72 68 67).

Le Mesurier is third on the Europro order of merit with winnings of £25,459. Thompson, who is playing primarily on the Challenge Tour with limited success, is 45th having won £3,682 from three tournaments.

Graham Howell (Sturminster Marshall) and Derwynne Honan (The Dorset) are the other Dorset players in this week's field at Pyle and Kenfig.