Having played in a number of tournaments without success, people are now beginning to ask me in a roundabout way if I have any regrets over my decision to turn professional. I have certainly enjoyed playing in the tournaments so far. There are eight tournaments left and I am hoping to make enough money to hold my card for next season.

I was afraid, initially, that there might be a resistance to an amateur going to the tour school and then, by gaining a card, depriving a professional of an entry into tournaments.

Generally the long-established professionals have been more than courteous and welcoming to me. I learned over the past few weeks that there are a few Americans on the tour who turned pro late in life in order to play in the Senior tour. I think that this will become commonplace in Europe also. Indeed, a few of my amateur contemporaries in Ireland have been asking me very serious questions about conditions of entry into the tour school, and so on.

I should be doing my best to put them all off going, as it is more than probable that I will be taking the field there myself in

October.

A few of the players from America are, at this stage of the tour, feeling homesick. The bad weather in England in June did not appeal to them. A few bad rounds in these circumstances, the tiring travel and small irritating jobs like washing clothes in strange places can lead to low spirits.

The post mortems after missed cuts remind me of my university exams in UCC in the sixties. The reactions of those missing out are similar to those who did not attain the pass mark. Some guys take a few quiet drinks, some take a few drinks and become almost euphoric, while others seem to lose their speech. I fit into the last category, as I realised years ago that I cannot function properly the day after taking alcohol.

Most of my rounds so far on the tour have been marred with one or two big mistakes. The most recent event was the German Senior Open in

Uberlingen near the Swiss border two weeks ago. I was looking forward to it as I was in good physical shape going to it and I felt that I

was also mentally relaxed.

A first round of 75 left me with a good chance of making the cut, but two disasters in the second round left me two shots outside it.

My second shot to the fifth hole, a par four of 460 yards, needed an eight or nine iron from a severe downslope. I expected the ball to move slightly to the right, but I hit a terrible low hook that bounced off the bank of a bunker and kicked out of bounds. I could not explain the reason for the shot, but Ross Whitehead told me after the round that I did not complete my backswing. I might have been better off hitting a full nine iron. Indecision is always fatal.

The 12th hole was a short par four of 300 yards, dog-legging around a huge electricity pylon, that needed a six or seven iron off the tee. I used a six, did not line up properly and put the ball a foot out of bounds. The four penalty shots I incurred for the two errors and a three putt on the second were accompanied by 13 pars and two birdies. I was disappointed, as I expected to do well.

Making the cut is paramount, as doing so gives one the chance to, at least, cover all of the travelling, food and accommodation expenses.

Last week the tour players had a chance to rest. Some of the

American players visited Kerry to play links courses prior to going to Portrush for the British Seniors. We organised a small event over the nine-hole links at Castlegregory. The professionals were amazed that a nine-hole course that cost so little to lay out could play so well and were even more amazed to learn that one could play golf there all day for the £10 green fees. The greens were akin to

Portrush. The pre-qualifying for the British Senior Open in Portrush has attracted large numbers, particularly from the United States, again this year. This represents an ideal opportunity to market Irish golf courses. If it were possible to play the Irish Senior Open in the week prior to or immediately after the British Seniors there would also be huge interest in it. Suitable dates are not easy to come by, unfortunately, but the Irish Seniors could be as big an attraction as the British if there were open qualifying. It would certainly present an ideal opportunity for marketing Irish golf.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can get through the pre-qualifying today and then get a run in the tournament proper. I

think that Brian Barnes, John Bland and John Morgan, fresh form the

US Senior Tour, can expect stiff opposition for Tommy Horton, Noel

Ratcliffe, Liam Higgins and David Jones. David made a big impression in Germany when he finished third and his knowledge of Portrush will be a big advantage. Darren Clarke's performance in the British Open has given us all a thrill. I remember playing him in the South of

Ireland in his last year as an amateur. While congratulating him at the end of the match I remarked to him that he could forfeit 30 yards off the tee and still beat the world.