It's hard to be competitive when you have no golf clubs.

Challenge Tour hopeful Stephen Browne has had to do without his clubs three
times from eight outings on the Challenge Tour this year but he is still
making great headway as he learns his trade and bids to win his European
Tour card at the same time.

With no status on the Challenge tour after failing to make it through the
Qualifying School last year, he has been limited to eight starts this
season, all of them by invitation.

It is almost exactly a year since Browne won the European Individual Amateur
title in style in Denmark last year and yet, despite his relatively slow
progress compared to former Ireland team mate Graeme McDowell, Browne is
undoubtedly one of the most exciting Irish prospects out there.

Indeed, he admits that McDowell's 'go for it' style has really inspired him
this season and as one of the more prolific birdie-makers on tour he is
edging closer to his dream ticket.

"Graeme is a friend of mine and it's great to see him doing well," he said
last week as he headed for Ballyliffin and the North West of Ireland Open.

"I love the way he is so positive on the course, it's all out attack. That's
the way I like to play and hopefully I can get a bit of inspiration from
him."

McDowell and Browne played together for Ireland as amateurs last year but
while the Ulsterman has secured his tour card by winning the Volvo
Scandinavian Masters, Browne has been struggling just to get into events on
the Challenge Tour.

The fact that the 28 year old from Hermitage 'lost' his clubs in transit
three times from seven away trips, didn't help much.

"It unbelievable," he said. "Three times they have gone missing - once in
Kenya, once in Italy and once on the way back from Denmark and I had to get
them re-routed for the next tournament."

They never appeared at all in Italy, which meant a third straight missed cut
for the Dubliner who bounced back to make his fourth cut in a row when
finishing tied for 15th in the BMW Russian Open two weeks ago.

"I love it on tour. I'm doing what want to do and even though it's certainly
tough and a adjustment going pro, I know I can be successful," he said.

"But it's quite hard to develop your game. There's a very fine line between
working on your swing and playing golf to the best of your ability. You
really have to be careful with the line because if you cross over too much
into the technical you won't be able to play well on the course when you
need to.

"But at the same time if you don't work on your game and develop it you're
not going to move forward. That's a bit of a Catch 22 and as I have no
status this year, every tournament I play in is on an invite basis."

With a ¤ 20,000 grant from the government and sponsorship from building
company Carroll estates and Kellogg's Nutri-Grain, Browne has enough money
to finance his season.

He also has more than enough talent to make it and as one of the most
attacking players on tour, his birdie count proves that he could be up
there with the best if he could just cut out the errors that have plagued
his early rounds.

"I always seem to make a bad start and that puts you on the back foot
straight away," he said. "Any time I have started well I just get up and
running and I have had a good tournament.

"To be honest I make enough birdies to win the tournament every week -
around five a round and I also make an eagle every two or three rounds which
helps. It's the odd lost ball, penalties or water hazards here and there
that are catching me.

"There is a lot more water involved in Europe than over in Ireland where
it's links golf and rough. Fairways are tighter, rough is heavier. You have
to learn when to put the pedal down or not and you just get all that through
experience.

"I'm not downbeat. I've been very happy even though I haven't hit the
headlines I know I will, I'm very confident in that. I've made cuts
relentlessly really and I only missed the cut in Italy because my clubs
didn't turn up."

Browne's long term goal is to make it on the European Tour but he is also
planning to marry fiancée Elaine Maher next year.

"She has been really great, and it's absolutely crucial to have somebody
right behind you all the time and Elaine has been fantastic even though I am
away a lot and she has to work and can't travel with me."

Browne will almost certainly bid for his card at the European Tour
qualifying school this autumn. With a little luck, he should be up there
rubbing shoulders with McDowell in the very near future.

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© Brian Keogh 2003

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