Gribben hoping to retain status

Paddy Gribben, Ireland's Walker Cup hero, is loathe to take a decision that will change his life irrevocably. The Warrenpoint golfer is hoping that a pronouncement on his future, expected over the next fortnight is accompanied by an offer he can not refuse: a job.

Gribben is once again courting the professional ranks, though he would prefer not to take such a route. "If someone were to offer me a good job, providing me a little flexibility in terms of playing amateur golf, then I would not turn professional. I love playing for my country, there is no higher honour and I would be more than happy to continue in the amateur game."

Gribben is well aware of the demands imposed by being a professional, having spent three years from 1991 trying to earn a tour card and seek out a living on Challenge tours.

For the following two years the Ulster golfer never raised a club, disillusioned with the game. However three years ago, persuaded to resume, he sought and was granted reinstatement to the amateur code. "It's been a great three years, what with the European Amateur title and recently the Walker Cup and in each of those years we came close to winning in the Home Internationals."

Having returned to the amateur ranks, he knows that sallying forth into the professional world again will preclude him from returning to the unpaid status. Golfing Union of Ireland official Pat Finn confirmed: "If he (Gribben) turns professional this time then he will not be able to reclaim amateur status."

Gribben conceded: "I know that I can never come back and in fairness it is a situation that I still hope to avoid. I am going to give myself two or three weeks to think about my future." "My options are fairly limited having failed to come through Prequalifying 1 for the European tour. In turning pro I would be looking to pick up a few invites and seeing how I could manage elsewhere." Had Gribben managed to negotiate PQ1 he could then have gone forward to PQ2 without foregoing his amateur status. It is only if he qualified from PQ2 and hit a ball at the Tour School proper that he would be considered a professional.

The Ulsterman admits to being "physically drained " at the moment. "The Walker Cup took a great deal out of me, more than I realised at the time. It was great to be part of it, but the pressure was unbelievable. "And then last week it was the Home internationals; that was so disappointing. Under Mick Craddock we have come so close and it was almost unbearable to lose out again. We had a good team, an excellent team spirit and we fought hard only to end up with the same old hard luck story."

Hopefully Gribben himself will have a happier ending in his quest to remain an amateur. In an era when young talent continues to flow from the amateur scene, providing him with a future in that code would be of great benefit to his country.