Nolan’s fighting spirit earns him consolation tour

BRAY’S Keith Nolan has revived his professional golfing career on the back of a fighting performance in the US Tour School that ended yesterday with the sixth and final round over the PGA West and Jack Nicklaus Tour courses in Florida.

The 33-year-old, former Irish amateur champion effectively spoiled his chance of reclaiming his card on the regular PGA Tour by running up a four over par 76 in the fifth and penultimate round on Sunday. Only the top 30 and ties qualified but the next 50 clinched their places on the secondary Nationwide Tour for 2007. With this aim in mind, Nolan stuck gamely to his task and a closing 71 for a five under par total put him into a tie for 46th and well within the cut-off mark.

“It could have been a whole lot better for I missed the main tour by a mere two shots but at least I now have something to look forward to in the near year,” said the former East Tennessee State student who turned professional in 1997 and has concentrated almost exclusively on the US ever since. In spite of a number of highly promising performances — including three top 10 finishes — life on tour has been something of a struggle for the Wicklowman whose official earnings amount to as little as $121, 736. Still, he has good reason to be satisfied with developments at the tour school given that he got into only four Nationwide events in 2006 and made the paltry sum of $1, 875.