CORISANDE Lee is taking the direct route to following in Laura Davies's footsteps.

When Britain's most famous female golfer bows out of the American Tour, the Lancashire Girls champion from Pleasington is well on course to take her place.

And she is already building up a pedigree to be proud of as she completes her last year in the junior game at the age of 18.

But she is going out with a bang, taking the Lancashire junior title at Hurlstone Hall and established the lowest girls handicap in the county of 2.7, down on the 5 she started the year with.

Her success has also led to her being represented by Andrew Chandler, the manager of Ryder Cup winners Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood.

One man who is in the prime spot to track Corisande's progress is her dad Duncan, also her caddy.

He said: "She's concentrating on being the best female golfer in Britain.

"She goes to bed early and doesn't go out the same way a lot of 18-year-olds do. But when you're trying to get an American tour card you have to take that seriously.

"When Laura Davies finishes she wants her place, and hopefully she'll get it, not this year but by October 2005."

For the next two years Corisande will be preparing for the rigours of tour golf by teeing off alongside top professionals in major competitions and entering events abroad

Duncan said: "She's going to try and go full-time and play in Portugal, Spain and other places to get experience of pro tournaments. She'll be playing 23 weeks out of 52."

Corisande is also showing she has what it takes to step into Laura Davies's shoes with the way she handles the pressure of big tournaments .

During the Lancashire Championships she had to recover from a traumatic first day when she shot 80.

But a second day gross score of two under par left her three over par for the two rounds as she fought back to clinch the title.

Duncan added: "She's got a wonderful temperament and nothing bothers her, she juts carries on.

"On the first day she dropped four shots on one hole after trying to play out of a pond and she ended up taking nine.

"When she got to the semi-final of the English Championships she started with an eight on the first hole but she was then one under for the next 17.

"So it doesn't put her off if she has a disaster, she keeps on going."

Lee also finished sixth in the Irish Under 23 Open, proving that she is capable of living with more senior players from across Europe.

On her way to the semi-final of the Northern Championships she beat national champion Naomi Edwards after qualifying in the top 16 out of 80 players.

Lee was also in the top 20 after two rounds of qualifying for the English Strokeplay Championships at Saunton Sands in Devon, beating more top players to the cut.