Graeme Storm kicked off the European tour in fine style with a top ten finish in South Africa at the weekend. In part one of his tour diary the Hartlepool golfer talks about how his experiences in Durban have made him determined not to slip back on to the Challenge Tour.

A TIED fourth place finish in the first tournament of the new year - the whole trip couldn't have gone more smoothly.

It was a great week in Durban. I made the cut in the South Africa Airways Open, and a weekend's play that will hopefully stand me in good stead for the rest of 2005.

The golfing circuit is full of new experiences and this time was no different - highlighting exactly why I need to stay on the European Tour rather than slip back onto the Challenge Tour.

For making the cut and pushing hard for a top ten place in Durban my reward was perfect. A date with eventual winner Tim Clark in front of his own supporters on Saturday and a final round pairing with Ryder Cup winner David Howell.

Tim was a local favourite and former winner of the event and, as I thought, there were a lot of spectators following our match, which I haven't been used to in recent years. But I felt I played the better golf than Tim and that can only breed confidence for the rest of the year.

It was similar on Sunday when I was lying just one shot off the lead. I was looking quite nervously forward to the challenge to compete with David Howell.

To beat Mr Howell was a big learning curve for me because I didn't feel overawed playing with somebody who obviously is highly rated.

I've already arrived in Singapore - ahead of the Caltex Masters tomorrow - and I'm hoping to have another good result that will keep me in the top ten of the Order of Merit and keep the momentum going towards retaining my card.

AS well as a brush with a couple of the Tour's big guns - as well as meeting a chap called Paul Adams from Whitley Bay in the Pro-Am a week ago - I must say that my very own caddie is proving a bit of a catch.

I could not have wished for the relationship between myself and Steve Rawlinson, from Newton Aycliffe originally, to have taken off as it has already. It may only be the first week we have worked together but the North-East banter has eased us into things.

Steve's knowledge of the game is tremendous. He has worked for some great players in the last couple of years, most notably Colin Montgomerie, so he knows the courses, is quite chatty and relaxed about things. I'm sure having him on the bag will help me a great deal and he was worth every penny at the weekend.

MY good fortune on the greens and fairways replicated the luck that I enjoyed on the 11-hour flight from Heathrow to Johannesburg.

In the past my clubs have disappeared quite frequently in the confusion from me boarding different flights, this time that never happened.

Instead I was given an upgrade to business class for my flight and as I've never had the chance to do that before I was able to get some sleep and get refreshed. I'll have to try that more often.

MY stay at the Holiday Inn in Durban was also nice with my room-mate, Oliver Wilson. I spent quite a bit of time in the beach bar watching the cricket.

Mansfield's Oli, who finished 68th on Sunday and is based in America, was a good lad to have around and it was just a shame we hadn't stayed in Johnannesburg for a few days because we could have watched some of the Fourth Test together.

It's just a shame there won't be any cricket in Singapore to watch. I'll just have to keep an eye on Hartlepool's FA Cup trip to Brentford instead.

Published: 26/01/2005