Golfing dreams don't always go to plan. Just ask Richie Coughlan.

As a fresh-faced 17-year-old kid, he caddied for Phil Mickelson and David Duval in the Walker Cup at Portmarnock in 1991, dreaming of playing alongside them one day.

Now he's rubbing shoulders with them on the US PGA Tour. But instead of flying high with two of golf's superstars, a cruel twist of fate means that Coughlan is still a fingertip away from making those boyhood dreams come true.

After fracturing two of his ribs in a freak accident in a California hotel and missing out on the chance to add to his tournament earnings, the Irishman is locked in a race against time to keep his Card.

As a tour school graduate Coughlan doesn't get into every tournament and faces major battle to scrape together the $400,000 he needs to hold on to his dream ticket.

Starting out on his second stint on the PGA tour, Coughlan was sure he had done everything right this time around after training hard in the gym and taking his game to a new level through sheer dedication and hard work.

But despite his injury problems the 27-year-old battler from Birr in Co. Offaly is confident he can get his dream back on track.

"All I want is to get back to playing my best golf," he said this week. "The injury has been so frustrating, but I feel I'm ready to give it a go and I think I can still do enough to keep my Card."

"With the injury problems I missed the Bellsouth classic and had to pull out after just one round of the Greensboro Open. So I've had to change my schedule now and play more tournaments than I had planned and I won't be home now to play in the Irish Open or the European Open. It's about making up for lost time.

Coughlan hasn't made a cheque since he picked up finished $5,984 for 76th place in the Honsa Classic in March.

"It's been tough," he admitted. "I know I need to make around $400,000, but after missing those tournaments and a bit of sharpeness I'm going to need a big finish before the end of the year. I'm not afraid tp go out and give it my best shot."

And the Irishman is fully determined to do whatever it takes to take advantage of his second bite at the juicy US PGA Tour cherry.

Coughlan sweated blood and tears to make it back to the Promised Land of pro golf this season after losing his card in 1998, and he isn't turning back yet, despite the kind of bad luck would make most people think twice.

Even so, Coughlan has always had big dreams and plenty of courage.

When he caddied of Mikelson and Duval he dreamt of one day making the Walker team himself. And he eventually did just that, in 1997.

Later that year he pulled off the incredible feat of winning a Tour card on both sides of the Atlantic and opted to head Stateside, where he had been to university, to try his luck on the biggest professional golf tour in the world.

But he lost his card in his first season - missing out on 150th place and Tour salvation by a mere $200 dollars - and since then life has been full of ups and downs.

After spending time on the Hooters tour in Florida last year Coughlan bounced back this season by winning back his Card in style.

He fired a superb 40 under par aggregate for the three stages of the US Tour School at the end of last year, eventually finishing eighth overall, to get back to where he was before.

With the added bonus of a cheque for $25,000 and money from sponsorship deals rolling in, the graduate in speech communications and psychology was looking good until he crossed paths with a lift in California.

"I was pulling my big duffel bag out of the elevator and fell hard," he explained.

Thinking he was suffering a recurrence of an old muscular injury, the midlander shrugged off the pain and only had a few sessions of physio before he realised that something was seriously wrong.

After several x-rays, an MRI scan and extensive tests it was eventually discovered that he had two hairline fractures of the fourth and fifth ribs.

"I just couldn't believe it. I had put so much into preparing for the tour the second time. But I believe I'm now a much stronger player that I was in 1998, for a number of reasons," he said. "For a start, I'm physically fitter. I'm now down to 11 stones, having lost two stones and I'm sub 30 putts a round which is important out here if you're going to do anything."

But since his injury, Coughlan gone from 15th in the Q-school re-ranking list down to 36th, making it more difficult to get into tournaments.

After a solid start to the season, where he made two of the first three cuts and even led the Hawaiian Open after day one, the dream is a fading once again for red-haired genius from Westgate in Birr.

Currently lying 198th in the moneylist with earnings of just $24,000 so far this term, Coughlan needs a big cheque. Fast!

And although he missed the cut by a shot in last week's Compaq Classic, his first tournament back after injury, the former Clemson University star knows he has what it takes.

Said Richie: "I'm more mature, more confident now than I was when I first qualified three years ago and that's going to make a huge difference. All I need is one good week and I'll be back. That's all it takes."

With his talent for making the seemingly impossible look easy, I wouldn't bet against him.

Gray's day

Belfast boy Paul Gray will be back at Baltray for the £75,000 Glenmuir PGA on June 12-15 - after a seven-year wait.

The Holywood pro headed the Irish regional qualifying and will lead the home challenge in the championship over the famous Co Louth links.

Said the 27 year-old: "The last time I played at Co Louth was seven years ago in the East of Ireland Amateur Championship - I guess I won't have to wait so long this time."

Schweppe breaks out bubbly

Malahide assistant Anthony Schweppe is hoping to break out the bubbly at St Annes Old near Blackpool, from September 11-13.

The Dubliner's sparklng form in the regional qualifying for the Maxfli PGA Assistants' Championship at Delgany has left him bursting for action.

The 25 year-old will head across the water in search of the £4,000 first prize and the chance to win a spot in the PGA of America's Assistants' Championship.

Said Schweppe: "Teaching commitments mean I don't often get the chance to play in tournaments, so I'm really looking forward to the finals."

He'll be joined at the Lancashire course by Neil Lane (Donabate), Gavin Robinson (Carlow DR), Shaun Deveney (Roe Park, Londonderry) and Nigel Howley (Blackbush).

Suzie goes pro

Curtis Cup star Suzie O'Brien has decided to join the pro ranks.

One of Europe's top amateurs for many years, the Dubliner has finally decided to take the plunge.

A sister of former Walker Cup player Jody Fanagan, Suzie had announced her retirement from the amateur international team at the end of last season.

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© Brian Keogh 2000

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