The Rookie: Stephen Browne continues his account of life on thepro circuit

The glamorous life of the professional golfer does harbour a flip side. The Aer Lingus dispute meant the travelling plans of myself, Eamonn Brady and Gary Cullen were severely disrupted in trying to make it home from last week's EuroPro tournament near Newbury racecourse, producing our version of Around the World in 80 Days.

As soon as the tournament finished I was under severe pressure as Gary had booked a taxi for the three of us to make the train at Newbury, which we just about managed. The next train we had to catch was in a place called Coddicut where there was a wait of about an hour before making the connection to Birmingham.

Once again we disembarked before catching the express to Holyhead. It was an endurance test in terms of humping a professional golf bag, a suitcase and a hold-all up and down escalators and trying to find room on the trains. We finally made it for a 3 a.m. sailing last Friday to find the boat was jammed.

Adding to the discomfort was the fact that on the train to Wales we were joined by an English pub team heading for a soccer tournament in Galway. To say they let rip into the beers was an understatement. We eventually arrived in Dublin at 7.30 a.m.

The tournament at the beautiful Japanese-owned Parasampia course promised so much but ended in personal disappointment. It's a lovely course with a great hotel, the parkland layout very mature despite the fact the course is only eight years old. It was a bit like Hermitage so I felt very much at home. I shot a three-under-par 69 in the opening round, playing in driving rain for 15 holes. The last three holes, amazingly, were played in perfect conditions.

Given the fact I was an early starter meant those teeing up in the afternoon had the better of the day: I still managed to be tied first going into the second day. A 72 left me tied second going into the final round and sadly that is where the tournament unravelled. Two three putts and a lost ball in the first five holes effectively ended my chances of winning.

I was pushing a little bit in trying to compensate for making a couple of bogeys at a par five and was trying to hit the green in two. I didn't pull the shot much but it ricocheted off a branch and further into the trees. I ended up shooting 78 to finish 14th. Ordinarily I would have been happy but not when you start the round tied for second place.

I had dinner on a couple of nights with the Australian Wayne Riley, a former winner on the European tour proper. He's a lovely fellow but he's a reminder on how difficult it is to make your way in professional golf. Wayne had a two-round total of eight over and obviously didn't make the cut. It's a very high standard on the EuroPro tour.

The previous week in Portugal I had finished 20th on what was a fabulous course and only six months old. It was very difficult in that if you strayed off the fairway the bushes seemed to swallow golf balls. There were also environmentally restricted areas marked by red stakes that bordered fairways and the back of some greens. If your ball finished in there you had to drop sideways for a one-shot penalty even if it was playable. Any competitor that even walked into those cordoned off areas, never mind played a shot, suffered a two-stroke penalty.

This week I will play my first Challenge tour event in Europe. I played in two tournaments in Africa at the start of the season, Kenya (my clubs never arrived) and Zambia (where I failed to make the cut).

It is the first time I will return to Denmark to play competitive golf since winning the European Amateur Individual Strokeplay title there last year, albeit on a different course. I travelled to Manchester last night and fly out to Arrhus this morning. My goal is a top 10 finish so I can make the next Challenge tour event.

I'm really happy with my game at the moment and playing on the EuroPro tour initially has been very good in helping me to adjust to life as a professional golfer. This week represents a different test and one to which I am really looking forward.

(In an interview with John O'Sullivan)