Chasing tour dream comes at high price

Irish golf has never produced as many players willing to chase the ultimate dream of a place on the game’s major tours. Whether they can afford to follow their dreams is another matter altogether.

September heralds the start of the three-stage European Tour Qualifying School campaign, but while 39 Irishmen went to the starting line last year, just 31 have stumped up the €1,650 entry fee so far this season.

Had it not been for the Northern Ireland Open Challenge, brilliantly staged at Galgorm Castle last week, it’s likely even fewer would be bothering to join more than 980 hopefuls from all over the world in the long battle for just 25 golden tickets, which will be handed out at PGA Catalunya Resort in north-east Spain at the end of the six-round final stage on November 15.