Paddy Gribben may have been down, but he’s never quite been out for the count.

He turned pro at 20, gave up golf altogether for over two years at 23, bounced back with a bang at 28 to win Walker Cup honours and the European Amateur championship before turning pro again at the start of this year.

If that wasn’t enough he’s even had to overcome the putting yips and a terrible fear of flying after an air scare on a flight home from Chile with the Britain and Ireland Eisenhower Cup team in 1998.

Now the Warrenpoint 31-year old is set to deliver a knockout blow to all his career demons at next week’s (November 17-22) European Tour Qualifying School Finals at San Roque and Sotogrande.

And if the blonde Ulsterman can pull it off and take one of those top 35 places and his European Tour card, it will be a remarkable achievement for the one of Irish golf’s true fighters.

Gribben proved those battling qualities in the recent European Tour Qualifying School Two at Pals in Northern Spain.

Gribben looked to have dashed his chances of making it to the finals with a nervy third round 78 that saw him plunge down the leaderboard.

But he wasn’t about to give up easily and duly fired the round of his life – a seven under par 65 – to finished inside the qualifying mark to claim his big chance at the finals.

Said Paddy: “I just went for it and when I was four under after 11 holes I decided not to just defend and it came off. Now, it’s time for the big one.”

Gribben knows exactly what the Qualifying School Finals mean to his future in the game.
There won’t be a lot more chances for the farmer’s son from Mayobridge, who took up the game at the age of 14 and prospered under the guidance of legendary Warrenpoint coach Don Patterson.

After a solid but unspectacular amateur career Gribben decided to try his hand at the professional game at the tender age of 20, back in 1989. And he admits now that it was a big mistake.

“I hadn’t even won an amateur international cap for Ireland and looking back now it was immaturity. I went all over the place to play, to South America and Asia and even had a few good results – I finished 3rd in the Chilean Open one year – but in general it was a bit of a disaster and I just got disillusioned.”

Broken-hearted, financially struggling and with a wife and baby daughter, Gribben went to work on his parents farm, looking after cattle and sheep and doing other odd jobs on the side.

He didn’t touch a golf club for two and a half years. “I eventually applied to be reinstated as an amateur and started to play again,” recalls Gribben.

He won the North of Ireland championship and European Amateur championship in 1998 and the North again last season before being called up for Eisenhower Cup and Walker Cup duty.

Gribben played a vital role in Britain and Ireland’s historic Walker Cup victory at Nairn with the Irishman taking 1.5 points out of two in the singles.

“It was a brilliant experience and I think I’ll always remember it for the rest of my life but now I’m just trying to focus on getting my card.”

Gribben had no card this season and had to rely on sponsors invitations that were very few and far between.
"All I could do was take it day to day and do my best. I had no ranking and spent every week waiting by the phone for an invite to play somewhere or other. Most weeks, there is no phone call."

In the end he played in six challenge tour events, winning a very modest 6,471 euros for 102nd place and guaranteeing himself at least a limited, category 10 card for the Challenge Tour next season.

But he also played in the Murphy’s Irish Open at Ballybunion where opening rounds of 69 and 67 put him in contention and a third round 70 left him with a golden opportunity to do something really special.

Alas, a final round of 78 saw him drop to 45th overall but Gribben’s performance was an indication of just what this man s capable of with a golf club.

But as well as the day to day struggles of very professional golfer, Gribben also has to deal with a debilitating fear of flying.

Six weeks before his Irish Open adventures Gribben’s flight was taxiing on the runway for departure from Belfast Airport, when he got a severe panic attack.

"I got them to open the doors, and I got off the plane as quickly as I could," he recalled.
Gribben’s problems with air travel have their roots in a trip back from Chile after winning the Eisenhower Trophy as part of the Britain and Ireland team, two years ago.

"As we were taking off the runway, the plane hit a bump and the wheels on the undercarriage locked into position. We spent three and a half hours flying around, off-loading aviation fuel, before undertaking a crash landing," said Gribben.

“My confidence was affected and my golf suffered as a consequence, but I have been working with a sports psychologist I am getting over it," he said.

Gribben had to put his fears behind him when he flew out to Spain last Friday, but he’s confident that he has the golf to clinch one of those precious 35 Tour cards.

“I’m feeling good, I’m playing well and I’m looking forward to it. It’s all about positive thinking.”

With Gribben’s determination and fighting spirit he could well be flying high when the Tour Cards are handed on Wednesday week.

Card mania
Paddy Gribben will be joined in the card scramble at San Roque and Sotogrande by Damian McGrane, Sean Quinlivan and Damien Mooney and Jim Carvill .
All four came through the Qualifying School two at Pals and Peralada in Northern Spain
But there was heartbreak for six other Irishmen.
Amateur Eamonn Brady missed out by a shot at Emporda after rounds of 69, 72, 70, and 70 while Peter Lawrie, Raymond Burns, Leslie Walker, Richie Coughlan and Francis Howley also failed to make it to the finals.

Higgins second
David Higgins’ bid for Challenge Tour glory ended when money list leader Henrik Stenson won the last event of the season in Cuba.
Swede Stenson took the field apart to win the 2nd Cuba Challenge Tour Grand Final at Varadero.
Higgins finished 17 shots behind Stenson on one under par.
Said the Waterville man: “Fair play to Henrik. He played super golf and deserved to win the order of merit.
“But I’m delighted to have done so well to finish second and now I have full rights on the European Tour again next season which was my objective.”

Government Grants
Grants totalling £50,000 have been awarded by the Irish Sports Council to leading amateur golfers.
The Irish Amateur Close champion, Graeme McDowell, who also won the South of Ireland Championship, the Irish Youths Open Championship, Leinster Youths Championship and World Universities Championship was awarded £6,000.
Noel Fox, winner of the Irish Amateur Open, East of Ireland and Willie Gill Award, and Michael Hoey, winner of the North of Ireland Championship, Emirates Open Championship and recently tied for first place in the Juan Carlos Trophy in Argentina, will both receive £3,500.

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© Brian Keogh 2000

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