EDDIE Pepperell believes he has found a new level in recent weeks which puts him in contention to end the year in style.

The Abingdon golfer is in the form of his life on the European Tour, with five top-ten results in six events.

It has put the 26-year-old on course to claim his highest finish in the rankings – a huge achievement 12 months on from having to come through Qualifying School after losing his card.

Pepperell has taken a fortnight off to prepare for the season-ending trio of events, which starts with the Turkish Airlines Open next week.

Despite the star-studded fields in Antalya, South Africa and Dubai, the Frilford Heath member believes he is in good shape to end his wait for a first Tour crown.

He said: “I don’t want to talk it up too much, but it just feels like I have reached a new level.

“I’m very hungry to push on – I want to win one of the final three events and I feel like I’m playing well enough to do that.

“It’s about winning and I’m out there to win. In Italy (this month) I was disappointed to finish tenth.

“I certainly feel like I’m putting a game together that’s going to be good enough to win at a high level.

“It can happen and I feel if one happens a few more could follow quite quickly.”

Whether he breaks his duck when it comes to winning in the next month, the key will be to continue the run of consistent results.

Unlike this year, when his Qualifying School ranking did not gain entry to most of the Tour’s biggest events, they will be back on his calendar for 2018.

And while briefly losing his card for 2017 was a stressful experience, the Oxfordshire golfer thought at the time it would provoke a response.

Pepperell, who also finished in a share of 16th place at the US Open in June, said: “I always felt this would be my best year.

“People react to the bad and I had a bad year in 2016, but I have come back and from June onwards I have been playing really good golf.

“I’m certainly optimistic about the future.

“I want to do what I’ve done over the last six months over the next 12 months.

“With the access I will have to the bigger events, I feel there’s a big opportunity.”

PEPPERELL’S FANTASTIC FORM

  • Sept 3: D+D REAL Czech Masters =5th place
  • Sept 17: KLM Open (Netherlands) =3rd
  • Sept 24: Portugal Masters =3rd
  • Oct 1: British Masters missed cut
  • Oct 8: Alfred Dunhill Links =7th
  • Oct 15: Italian Open =10th

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Nov 2-5: Turkish Airlines Open
  • Nov 9-12: Nedbank Golf Challenge, S Africa
  • Nov 16-19: World Tour Championship, Dubai