Rachel Bell got international honours as an amateur

Ganton golfer Rachel Bell has said she is learning all the time in her first season as a professional.

The 26-year old earned her Ladies European Tour card at the end of 2007 and she has played in five events so far this year.

She told BBC Radio York: "It's a big learning curve.

"You've to really make the most of opportunities. It's all about trying to get yourself up there at the top of the leaderboard."

Interview: Rachel Bell

Bell has played golf since she was 11 and in her final season as an amateur she reached the semi-finals of the British Open Amateur Championship.

She also made the cut at the British Open where she finished as the third placed amateur ahead of some of the world's best golfers including Laura Davies and Michelle Wie.

It's very different obviously. You get better money for starters! Rachel Bell

Bell also finished as the top amateur in the Ladies European Tour Welsh Open.

However, she said turning professional is a complete change to what she has previously known.

"It's very different obviously. You get better money for starters!

"You travel around a lot more. Quite a lot of the tournaments I played in on the amateur circuit were based in Britain whereas there's only a few that are on the Ladies European Tour so we're travelling around a lot more.

"I'm just getting to know the ropes. Just figuring out where the best places are to stop and everything like that."

Bell's best result so far this year was an 11th place in the Turkish Open and she said her main aim this season is to keep her tour card.

"That's mainly it for the first season, just try and do as good as I can.

"Really feel what it's like out there and see what goals I need to set the following year to keep on improving and getting better."