WHEN the curtain comes down on another year of European Tour golf for Graeme Storm, he will be able to reflect on 12 months of emotional lows and satisfying highs.

As he heads in to what could be his last outing of the year at the lucrative $7m Turkish Airlines Open, Storm is determined to end 2014 in style. If he can, he could force his way in to the end of season showpiece in Dubai next week, at the DP World Tour Championship.

To be even competing in Antalya, where he tees off in his first round this morning, highlights just how well things have gone since missing the cut at the Italian Open at the beginning of September; even if he wondered if he would ever get there when he started his journey at the weekend.

“Our flight from Manchester on Sunday was delayed by two-and-a-half hours, it was a nightmare, we didn’t get there until the night,” said Storm. “Basically a couple of people asked to leave the plane when we were all sat on it for whatever reason, probably family reasons.

“We then had to leave the plane because the police were asked to go on board with the sniffer dogs, the lot, to make sure there was no bomb threat or anything. It’s what society has come to these days. It’s sad.

“Basically the panic button had been pressed, that was that, so all the checks had to be carried out to make sure we were all safe. We didn’t get there until late that night, which was not the ideal start, but we’re here and it’s a fantastic complex.”

His delayed arrival in to Turkey mirrors, in many respects, his season. Storm did eventually land in the top 80 in the Race to Dubai after a dreadful start which threatened his status on the main Tour.

“It’s great to be here (in Turkey),” Storm said, after emerging from the gym and ahead of nine practice holes on The Montgomerie Maxx Royal. “To think where I was in September, wondering what was going to happen next, what else could go wrong, to be here in Turkey, just two weeks after playing in the BMW Masters in Shanghai.”

Storm collected $20,000 for finishing 61st in a field of 78 in China and he is guaranteed more than $10,000 just for turning up in Turkey, even if he finishes last.

While the financial boost will come in handy, he knows the bigger picture is that a good performance would reap even greater rewards. “If I can come away with a top 15, possibly top 20 finish, then I could climb in to the top 60 and get to Dubai,” said the Hartlepool golfer currently ranked 68th.

“That’s what I am thinking about because sometimes it doesn’t help when you go in to tournaments knowing you’re guaranteed to play in all four rounds, guaranteed some money, it can take away some of the edge.”

After that he intends to relax. This had been a year to forget for a variety of personal reasons and that had affected his performances on the fairways, highlighted by the fact he had missed 15 of his opening 25 cuts of the year.

Then he magically found his touch in Switzerland, winning a £140,000 BMW for holing a par three on his way to narrowly losing out on a play-off to American David Lipsky in the Omega European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre.

“I’d had a really rubbish year,” said the 36-year-old. “Before Switzerland I was planning for Tour School. I have had a look at some of the names there, like Gary Lockerbie, and that was going to be me. Whether I play in Dubai or not, I’m then really looking forward to my seven week break I have scheduled before returning to action in Abu Dhabi in January.

“I’m going to put my feet up quite a bit, spend time with the family, enjoy Christmas and I’m also looking forward to mentoring some students at Dyke House College in Hartlepool.

“I’ve got involved in Dyke House’s golf scholarship programme and I’m working with young golfers Will Skipp, Cameron Wallace and Jack Ainscough. I’m really looking forward to going to speak to them, to see how they are coming along. It’s something I’m enjoying.

“It will be good to just do some different things and relax a bit more than I have been able to this year. Hopefully it helps when the golf restarts again in 2015 ... but it would be nice to go well here first.”