WHILE Tiger Woods celebrates the second victory of his embryonic professional career, the man who used to share centre stage on the amateur scene with him just a year ago finds himself at the other end of the success spectrum.
Starting today, Scotland's Gordon Sherry finds himself involved in the scramble for places at next month's European tour qualifying school after a season when one disappointment has followed another.
Sherry, last year's British amateur champion, plays in the 54 hole pre qualifying tournament with 100 others at St Cyprien in southern France.
The 22 year old Walker Cup star had, like Woods in the States, hoped to earn his tour card by doing well in tournaments he was invited to play in after turning professional following the US Masters in April.
But in seven starts he won just £11,512 while in the same number of events Woods has now picked up nearly £500,000.
At 184th in the European Order of Merit Sherry is fighting now for his future.
. Despite unbeaten contributions from Irish amateur champion Peter Lawrie and Walker Cup player Jody Fanagan, an Irish selection were beaten 81/2 - 71/2 by a New York Metropolitan Golf Association team in the Governor Hugh Carey Challenge Cup at Hudson National Golf Club. The destination of the trophy came down to the last green in the last match where Amercian Ed Gibstein beat Ken Kearney by one hole.
