Eamonn Brady is not going to let his Tour School cock-up get him down.

The Dubliner 'celebrated' his first anniversary as a pro by missing his fourth round tee time at last week's European Tour School at Chart Hills in Kent, ending a season that has brought him more pain than pleasure.

It was the second time the Dubliner had put his foot in it this season after suffering knee problems that almost ruined his swing.

But all that had been forgotten as he prepared to clinch his place at the second stage of the Qualifying School in Spain. Rounds of 73, 69 and 72 left him needing a modest 75 to take his place at the second stage.

Thinking he was off at 9.50 when he was actually due on the tee at 8.50 Brady arrived at the course at 8.55 to discover he was out of the tournament.

Despite the fact that he has now been left facing a year of struggle, with no sponsor or financial nest egg to fall back on, Brady has decided to put it all behind him and look on the bright side.

"I felt really stupid," he admitted, "There isn't much you can say. I was devastated for a couple of days afterwards because it's something you just never think will happen to you but now I'm just looking forward to the future. I've decided to take it as a lesson and move on.

"When I got back to Royal Dublin I just explained what had happened before people even got a chance to ask me because I knew I would get a lot of comments and questions."

To help him forget his woes, Brady plans to try for a place at the Australian Tour School at the end of October before playing in an invitational event in Panama for the leading finishers on the Canadian Tour.

By rights, Brady should still be devastated, having smashed his dream of clinching a coveted European Tour card by carelessly taking his tee time for granted.

Having missed a place in qualifying final qualifying by just a single stroke last year, Brady felt that he had the game to go all the way this time after winning a tournament in his first appearance on the Canadian Tour.

But now, instead of preparing to tackle the second stage of the Tour School in Spain, the Royal Dublin man is clutching at straws, despite his optimism.

"I have a number of options," he revealed. "I still have my Canadian Tour card for the next two seasons when it starts again in February but I'd like to try for a card on the Australasian Tour, which is co-sanctioned by the Canadian Tour."

A lot has changed since Brady won the first professional tour event he played it - the Myrtle Beach Open - in late February. Having just clinched his Canadian Tour card, Brady was a reserve and had to wait around for three hours before the opening round to find out if he would even play.

Brady, who turns 28 on Monday, eventually finished 22nd in the money list with earnings of $25,650 despite making just two more cuts in the 12 events he played after his Myrtle Beach win.

"My swing went all over the place and I couldn't find out what was going wrong. Eventually I discovered that these in-soles I had been given to correct a knee problem were making me swing from my heels instead of from my toes, which is my usual technique," he explained.

In an effort to prove that he was capable of matching the best in al departments, Brady had put himself through a punishing physical training programme that included cycling and running.

The effort put too much pressure on his knees and he was forced to consult two physiotherapists before finding what he thought was the solution.

"I was home in Dublin when I was given these implants for my shoes which helped my knees but made me change by posture. I went back to Canada thinking I had everything sorted but my foot alignment was out and I developed new faults."

Separated from coach George Henry, Brady has badly missed having technical guidance in Canada.

"These days everyone has coaches on the range but I have had to try and work things out myself. I even gave up my fitness routine in the mornings in order to spend more time trying to find a solution," he said.

"Hopefully I can keep in touch with a digital video camera and the internet."

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Philip Walton looks set to launch yet another European Tour comeback.

The likeable Malahide man showed his form with birdies at four of the last five holes to win the Pro-Am recently. W

alton hates the European Tour School, describing it as being 'like a prison sentence", but this could be his year.

The 39 year old is still a class act with a lot to offer.

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Noel Fox might be regretting his decision to give up a place at the European Tour School last week.

The Dubliner decided he wasn't playing well enough and joined in Portmarnock's Irish Senior Cup bid at Newlands.

In the end Fox played brilliantly but Portmarnock went down 3-2 in the final to underdogs Mallow.

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Eamonn Brady wasn't the only Irish disaster at last week's tour school.

Raymond Burns, Francis Howley and John Kelly were the only Irishmen to make it through at Carden Park where Dunfanaghy's Ciaran McMonagle and Athlone's Colm Moriarty also missed out. Amateurs Gary Cullen and Tim Rice also failed at Chart Hills while at the Wynard Club European Amateur champion Stephen Browne failed to make the grade alongside Conor Mallon and Robin Symes.

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Padraig Harrington might top the stroke averages in European with 69.42 shots a round but veteran Des Smyth is having one of his best years ever.

The 48-year-old Drogheda man has shot an average of 70.58, putting him in the same league as Welsh Ryder Cup player Phillip Price. Paul McGinley (70.03) and Darren Clarke (70.31) are the other Irishmen in the Top 25.

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© Brian Keogh 2001

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