Patience paying off for the new, improved Lawrie

PATIENCE is a virtue in every walk of life.

In professional golf, it's a priceless attribute and probably one good reason why 29 year-old Dubliner Peter Lawrie is now enjoying life as one of the most improved and successful golfers in Europe.

Pencil-slim Peter has rarely if ever rushed his fences.

As an amateur good enough to represent Ireland and Leinster on many occasions, he waited until 1996 to win the Irish Close.

A year later, and with his commerce degree from UCD safely tucked away, he turned professional. Progress was limited and at times painfully slow.

His career was saved at an early stage when he holed-in-one at an Asian tournament winninga car which he promptly sold forbadly needed cash.

After missing the cut in four of his first five tournaments last year, things lookedbleak as ever.

But in the second half of the season, he enjoyed six top ten finishes including the big one victory in the Challenge Tour Grand Final. Finishing fourth in the order of merit with 89,072, he was all set for2003.

Once the opportunity presented itself, Lawrie was ready and thanks largely to a runner-up spot in the Spanish Open in Tenerife (where he lost a play-off for the title), he is now 32nd in the money list with 293, 961 and still counting.

He attributes this change in fortunes to a new found maturity which, no doubt, will be further advanced by his marriage to Philippa Hudson on December 6.

"I've become a little more consistent off the tee and with my iron shots and I suppose I'm using my head a little bit better now," he says.

"I got off to a great start in the South African Open. I was lying in 2nd place on Saturday morning and then birdied the first and now wasonly one behind.

"I thought to myself, it doesn't get better than this. But all of a sudden I woke up a bit and finished down the field and missed the cut by a shot in three of the next four tournaments and by two in the other.

"I came home more or less empty handed after eight weeks on the road. I wasn't too worried because my golf game was good and I just needed something to spark.

"I finished 26th in Dubai and did okay in Qatar. Two missed cuts followed in Madeira and Portugal and now I was thinking, something has got to change here.

"Leading up to Tenerife, my driving was terrible but luckily the golf course wasn't that penal off the tee, you just had to hit a lot of good iron shots and it was like a putting competition.

"I did really well to finish 2nd there. To get into a play-off was terrific. You think of other players, who if they drove it that badly, they'd shoot 75, 75 and be gone home.

"But luckily enough, my short game was good, my putting was good. Lawrie eagled the 72nd to get into the play-off which was won by England's Kenneth Ferrie and agrees that his performance in Tenerife did a huge amount for his confidence.

"It was more about getting up the order of merit to keep my card, that's all I was after this year, the money really is secondary now. I've relaxed a lot and now I'm looking at leader boards and thinking what I need to shoot to get up there," he says.

Peter continues to work with Brendan McDaid down at Rathsallagh and they are now seton achieving their second goal for the season to qualify for the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

"I'm 32nd now and the top sixty get in; I'm still not there"

Lawrie has twice competed in the European Open, missing the cut each time. With his new found status, he is hoping for a lot better this time but isaware that the Irish players have usually struggledplaying at home.

"The only special pressure is the pressure I impose on myself", he declared. "I know there will be a lot of people pulling for me and watching me.

"The rough is penal, extremely wet and high, so we'll have to keep it on the fairway. I have not surpassed my own expectations and I don't think that will ever happen.

"This week I think I have a chance of a good finish and represent decent value at around 140 to 1."