James Heath was born on March 17th, 1983 in England. He had a superb amateur career and Nick Faldo has had a strong influence on his career. In 2004 he won the English Amateur and Lytham Trophy. In the latter his winning score was 5 shots better than the winning score in the 1996 Open.

He decided to turn pro later that year and was a member of the Challenge Tour in 2005. He claimed a victory at the ECCO Tour Championship. In the last tournament he finished T5 in the Grand Final to end the season 14th on the rankings and ultimately win a place on the European Tour.