McCartney took out the Pro Event 2 in the newly-founded Ultimate Pool Group series, which features the world's top professional eight-ball pool players.

The Ballarat local flew to England only a fortnight ago, and will spend the next six months there as he tries to establish himself on the professional scene.

"I'm still pinching myself. It's all still a little bit surreal," McCartney told Pockets Sports.

"I made the big commitment to come over for six months. Thirty-two of the world's best were invited.

"I'd be lying if i said I wasn't nervous, especially on a TV stage, which is something we don't have in Australia and it was a first for me.

"Honestly, it was the best win of my career and I couldn't be happier."

McCartney narrowly lost in the opening round of Pro Event 1but bounced back to fire in the second event of the weekend.

Th 31-year-old started with an impressive 6-1first-round win, before prevailing 6-4 in the last 16. In the last eight, he had to oust former back-to-back world champion Jordan Church in a decider, before easing through the semi-finals.

A grand final meeting with England's Shane Thompson began in tense fashion, before McCartney steamed away in the second half to claim victory with a few frames to spare.

"I'd be lying if I said I thought (I would go this far). That doesn't mean I'm not confident or didn't think I could go far, but with the preparation coming from Australia I didn't have a lot of table time and it took me a week to adjust my body clock," McCartney said.

The Ultimate Pool Pro Series sees 32 of the world's best players compete across four weekends for a total prize fun of around $270,000 AUD.

The events will all take place in Newcastle-under-Lyme and have been heralded as a new era for professionalism in the sport.

McCartney said he was overwhelmed by the support he had received.

"It's a massive driving force for me while I'm over here. I've had hundreds of messages, not just from back home but from all over the world," he said.

"There was a guy I went to school with (in Sebastopol) who's now living over in Canada, and tuned in from America who messaged me.

"It's been crazy to have that much love and support.

"I want to do everyone proud back home and put this game on the map. I'm just really proud to be an Australian right now."

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