Gentle giant Gary Cullen is set to put his Leinster nightmare behind him and make it as a pro ­ but only if he can control his dark side.

The six foot five man from Baldoyle hit the headlines at last week's Interprovincial Matches in Killarney when he stormed out of the Leinster camp in a rage after being left out of the team on the second day. But if he fails to get his tour card at PQ1 Cullen is facing a life in golfing limbo as Leinster and Ireland turn their back on him.

"I want to put that whole matter to sleep," he said this week. "I've been advised not to talk about it and I'm just thinking about the tour school next month and nothing else." But one senior Irish golf figure said: "It's Cullen should be put to sleep, there's no excuse for what he did."

The 25-year-old Beaverstown player has been a giant for Ireland and Leinster over the past five years, but it all went wrong for him in the Interprovincial Matches and he wasn't chosen for the side to represent Ireland in the Home Internationals at Woodhall Spa in England next month.

Erratic form with the blade has dogged him over the past two seasons and when he was beaten by five and four in both the singles and foursomes on the opening day in Killarney, Leinster captain Padraig Hogan left him out of the side entirely for the clash with Munster.

As Leinster won all four foursomes that day, Cullen knew he would not be getting a game in the alternate shot matches on the final day against Ulster and packed his bags for home.

He said: ""I didn't go all the way there just to play two matches. I could have been in England practising on the courses for the European Tour pre-qualifying. I was left out of the foursomes and singles and he wasn't going to change the foursomes for the last day.

"I played Colm Moriarty in the singles and a couple of three putts cost me dearly. Foursomes is a strange game and if you don't gel together, it's not going to happen. "I don't mind. I felt I was one of his strongest players and he didn't agree, so that's the way it goes, but I wasn't going there just to sit around."

In the end Cullen didn't head for England, preferring to practice on the compact sand on the beach at Sutton. He's even worked part time as a barman to put together £960 sterling entry fee for next month's the European Tour Qualifying School in England. But if he is to follow in the footsteps of Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, this likeable Dubliner will have to control himself when the going gets tough.

Alienated from the Ireland and Leinster camps, and with no professional qualifications to fall back on, he's now under severe pressure to come up with the goods at the tour school.

"I've been there before and missed my card by just two shots two years ago," he said. "I know what it's like. I feel that I can shoot low numbers if the putter starts to work for me. I was surprised that the standard is not that high and I think I'm as good as any of them out there and I just have to prove it.

"But if I don't make it I don't know what I'm going to do, I have nothing to fall back on. I've always wanted to be a professional since I started to play at a high level. I loved watching Fred Couples on TV and they way he behaved on the course and I'd love to do the same."

Cullen first played pitch and putt before joing Beaverstown as a juvenile. Within a year he was down from a 23 to a four handicap, setting a course record 66 at Beaverstown in a club medal when he was just a 15 year old.

Since then course records have fallen to Cullen at Carlow and Waterford and he's even managed a super 60 on his home course since then as well as a victory in the Irish Amateur Open championship at Royal Dublin two years ago.

Ireland caps have mounted up in Cullen's north Dublin home as he has represented the country at all levels in Europe, Africa and Asia.

But with battle lines drawn between the player and the Leinster Branch of the Golfing Union of Ireland, Cullen's amateur career appears to be over.

Would he accept a call up for Ireland and Leinster again?

"That's up to them," said Cullen this week. "I've nothing to say on that subject."

Without an apology, a reprieve looks unlikely for Gary Cullen. He'd better pray that his game is solid in September.

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Golf Shorts

Wexford golfer Damien McGrane is still in with a shout of clinching a European Tour card.

With two top ten finishes in just eight starts on the Challenge Tour, he can still finish in the Top 15 if he wins before the end of the year.

The Top 15 finishers on the Challenge Tour automatically win a place on the big money European Tour. Said Damien: "I know I can do it. I have the game and sooner or later I'll get my chance."

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Munster stalwart Evelyn Hearn, used all her experience as a caddie in the Ladies' Home Internationals at Carlow during the week. Hearn guided Lillian Behan to glory in the Women's British Open at Ganton in 1985.

And her experience proved invaluable to Eavan Higgins' side as she helped youngsters Claire Coughlan and Beaverstown's Martina Gillen at the midlands course.

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Things are looking up for Athlone star Colm Moriarty. The 22-year-old winner of the Mullingar Scratch Cup has been called up for Ireland at last.

A member of the Ireland panel, Moriarty will finally get his chance to shine in the Home Internationals at Woodhall Spa from September 12 ­14.

He's one of four new caps alongside Gavin McNeill (Waterford), Stephen Browne (Hermitage) and Stuart Paul (Tandragee).

With Walker Cup stars Michael Hoey and Graeme McDowell in the side, Ireland's chances look better than ever.

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© Brian Keogh 2001

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