Paul Gallagher talks to a player who is again setting out to earn a card for both the European and US Tours next season.

It has reached that time of the year when professional golfers who haven't made sufficient prize money during the season face the dreaded Qualifying School in a final bid to secure their playing rights for next year.

And Birr's Richie Coughlan has set himself the daunting task of trying to earn a tour card for both the European and US Tours next season.

Having based himself in the US since he enrolled in a golf scholarship at Clemson University, in South Carolina, in 1992, Coughlan now feels the time might be right time to embark on a new chapter of his professional career this side of the Atlantic.

The 29-year-old has been down this difficult qualifying road before, when in 1998 he went for both cards, secured them, and then decided to give it his best shot on the PGA Tour.

However, after a series of untimely injuries and the struggle to make an impact at the top level since then, Coughlan was left pondering what might have been if he had chosen to play in Europe.

"When I had the two cards back in 1998 I decided to play in America, but I've often wondered how I would have got on playing the European Tour," explains Coughlan, suggesting something of a homecoming could be on the cards.

"At the moment though, all I'm trying to do is get through every stage of whatever Qualifying School. If at the end of the whole thing I have two cards in my pocket it will be a nice situation to be in."

The first stage of the US Qualifying gets under way at five different venues today and Coughlan has his reasons for travelling out west to Nevada to get his campaign under way.

"I chose Dayton Valley CC in Nevada to qualify because we will play on bent grass and the weather will be perfect out there," he explains.

"I could have gone to a windy venue in Florida, but it's all Bermuda grass down there and I don't particularly like that to putt on."

Although Coughlan has embarked on something of an endurance test, let alone a financial burden, going for both cards, the upbeat New York resident sees it more as an opportunity, considering he can juggle the dates for both qualifying schools without clashing.

What's more, he has already passed the first European test with flying colours after compiling an impressive, six-under-par 282 aggregate for sixth place at Five Lakes in England last month.

"It's a difficult task sitting down to work out all the dates and organise everything logistically," says Coughlan. "It's going to be very tough, because as soon as I get back from PQ1 (Pre-Qualifying Stage One) in the States I will have to go straight to France for the second stage of the European Tour School. Then it's only four days until the next stage of qualifying in the States. It's a tall order, but the way I look at it is, stay focused, one shot at a time, one round at a time, one stage at a time and hopefully I'll achieve the right results at the end of it."

What makes Coughlan's determination all the more admirable is the fact he has to fit the bill for his efforts out of his pocket.

"I have to say it's a costly three months for me when you're talking about flying across the Atlantic and all the extra travel and accommodation in between. It's going to cost me a couple of thousand dollars a week and I'm paying for it all myself," explains Coughlan, who has no sponsors at present to weigh in with financial help.

The entry fee alone for the European Tour School is £1,000.

"The way I look at it is you have to make sacrifices and risks, and that's what my life is all about right now. To make it you have to spend it."

There is no doubt Coughlan has drawn inspiration from witnessing his former Leinster and Ireland team-mates, Peter Lawrie and Gary Murphy, making their mark on the European Tour this season.

Such has been their progress, both Lawrie and Murphy have all but secured their places in the lucrative, season-ending Volvo Masters, a tournament reserved for the top 60 of the European Order of Merit.

"To see players like Peter and Gary do so well gives me inspiration, big time," says Coughlan. "Respect to Padraig (Harrington), Darren (Clarke) and Paul (McGinley), I mean they're superstars. But to see Peter and Gary break through gives me huge incentive and motivation to get back up there, no question about that.

"Peter made his own breaks. The hard part is not just getting on tour but staying there. The whole key is executing your A game at the right time, which Peter has done and hats off to him for that," says Coughlan, noting Lawrie's runner-up finish in the Spanish Open as a particular highlight.

While Lawrie and Murphy have spent many seasons learning their trade on the likes of the Challenge Tour before graduating to the main tour, Coughlan was one of the many promising Irish amateurs who chose to migrate to the US in a bid to develop his game via the renowned collegiate system.

When Coughlan completed his scholarship in 1997, he, along with Keith Nolan from Bray, played Walker Cup before they joined the paid ranks in the US. Aside from a top 10 and several other good finishes on the PGA Tour in 1998, most of Coughlan's time since then has been spent competing on the Nationwide Tour (formerly the buy.com tour) and mini tours, while still chasing the dream.

However, a recurring rib injury after his first full season really knocked Coughlan out of his stride.

"I picked up a rib injury after a fall just before the Bob Hope Classic in 2000 and that really put me down both physically and mentally," reflects Coughlan. "I had a couple of stress fractured ribs and I was mistakenly treated for a muscle injury, so when I played on for a couple of weeks I did more damage," added Coughlan, looking back on a low period of his career.

This year the Birr man has been honing his game on the Canadian Tour, but admits that's not where he wants to be. Instead, you get the impression all Coughlan's energies have been saved for this marathon of dual Qualifying Schools he has taken upon himself.

"The Canadian Tour was my only exemption so I played most of the year there to keep my game sharp. I also played a few Nationwide Tour events and qualified for one PGA event.

"I still have my card for the Canadian Tour next year, which is a good deal, buts that's only a back burner for me in case things don't go well," says Coughlan, who like so many Irish aspirants is looking to go on to bigger and better things next season.

Seán Quinlivan was another bright prospect drawn to the bright lights of the US in the 1990s. Since finishing college, the Kerryman has based himself in West Palm Beach, Florida, and plays mainly on the mini tours there. However, Quinlivan is another from these shores who hasn't given up hope of competing at the top level. That's why he, like Northern Ireland's Chris Delvin and Coughlan, is entered for the US Tour School this time.

Eamonn Brady, nephew of former Republic of Ireland international Liam, also took his chance on the Canadian Tour and duly won the 2001 Myrtle Beach Open just six months after turning professional. (Climate conditions necessitated the tour followed the sun for the early part of the season.)

That win gave Brady a two-year exemption to the Canadian Tour, but the Dubliner has failed to make a significant impact since and hasn't played there at all this year.

So what preparations has Coughlan made this year in order to achieve his goals?

"Several weeks ago I got my clubs checked out at my local club, Troy CC, before travelling to England for PQ1, and the local pro, Mike Kuchera, put the camera on me in the range. There were a few things I was absolutely disgusted with. I was almost swinging with a reverse pivot and my general set-up wasn't as good as it should be," explains Coughlan, who has always been reluctant to get coaching because he knows he has his a unique swing.

"Sure, I could have gone to someone like David Leadbetter, but a coach like that would tear me to shreds. Instead, Mike made a few simple tweaks and worked with the swing I have got and thankfully my whole game feels much tighter and compact now."

And judging by his final round 65 at Five Lakes last month the "tweaks" seem to be paying dividends for Coughlan.

When Coughlan is not on the road competing, he structures his day around the practice range and the gym.

"I started a fitness regime four years ago and stick to that religiously four times a week. A typical practice day would be hitting the gym for two hours in the morning before heading up to Troy for the afternoon. Usually I put in three hours on the range then spend a couple more hours working on my short game," explains Coughlan.

Coughlan's story is just one of a number of players attempting to break into and stay in the big league.

To illustrate the difficulty of the task we need look no further than the success rate of the 26 Irish professionals who started out at stage one of this year's European qualifying process.

Coughlan was one of only seven players who advanced to stage two. David Higgins, Coughlan, Damian Mooney, Devlin and Ciarán McMonagle all qualified at Five Lakes, while Michael Hoey and Noel Fox were the only two to advance from Carden Park in England.

"I would play in Europe in a second and would look forward to it. It would be a chance to get back on the map again," explains Coughlan, who believes now is the time to stand up and be counted.

If he is fortunate enough to make it as one of the top 35 players who gains a European Tour card for next season, he will have endured 14 high-pressure rounds.

And that's not to mention his qualifying schedule in the US.

Coughlan's drive and determination is worthy of praise, but there is still has an awful long way to go before he achieves any of his goals.

However, should the Birr native have his way he could be walking the fairways on the European Tour sooner rather than later.