IT was an opportunity Ryan Riley did not want to ignore. The man from Eaglescliffe, who works in the Middle East, is flying back over to Teesside just to make a long-awaited return to competitive golf – and a special one at that.

The former Durham Boys champion is 28 now. He has tried his luck on the pro scene after deciding that life at the University of Missouri-Kansas City was not for him, but now he is a recruitment manager in Abu Dhabi.

His chosen career path means he spends time between the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, Qatar and Kuwait. When his golfing ambitions were at its height, he tried to sneak on to the Asian Tour, the Sunshine Tour and graced the EuroPro and Challenge Tour’s briefly.

His outlook is different these days and golf has become a hobby he is good at again rather than when he used to treat it as a professional career and the focus was earning money. Will the new approach help over the next fortnight or so? He hopes so.

Riley flies back to Eaglescliffe today ahead of playing in Saturday’s qualifier at Houghton-le-Spring for the Durham County Championship. Then, on Tuesday, he is off to Ringway Golf Club with the intention to qualify for the Brabazon Trophy.

“It would be nice to play in the County Championship this year because it is part of the centenary celebrations at Eaglescliffe,” said Riley. “I have not got massive expectations because I’ve not been playing competitively, but I have been feeling good about my golf again.

“It’s the same really next Tuesday. When I go down to Ringway, I would like to be able to qualify for the Brabazon because it’s in the North-East this year. It’s at Seaton Carew and that’s another course I know a lot about.

“Eaglescliffe and Seaton were probably the two courses I played the most. I won the Teesside Union Boys Championship at Seaton in 2003, I shot five under, so it’s a course I like and it would be nice to play in the Brabazon there.”

The County Championship at Eaglescliffe starts on Saturday week, sandwiched in between will be the Brabazon qualifier. Riley is not the only golfer from the region aiming to qualify.

Thomas Rowland (Prudhoe), James Simpson (Whickham), Ian Hendry (Seaton Carew), Lloyd Bond (Hartlepool), Brandon Bailey (Matfen Hall), Rhys Thompson (Boldon), James Austwicke (Hartlepool), Gavin Nesbit (Boldon), Hughie Hamilton (Seaton Carew), Alex Dixon (City of Newcastle), Adam Ramsey (Matfen Hall) and Daniel Brown (Bedale) are all looking to progress too.

“The top 30 golfers qualify from the Northern Qualifier and another 30 qualify from the Southern Qualifier, so it’s certainly possible for those taking part,” said Riley. “It will still be tough, though, because there is something like 142 looking to make it to the Brabazon.

“I have always had a decent short game and I’m happy with where that is at the moment. I have been practicing quite a bit too. I just need to get my driving going when I am back home. I have had a bit of coaching and I’m hoping it works out.”

If Riley does get to play in the Brabazon Trophy on June 25-28 then he will have to fly back from Abu Dhabi again. “I have played in it twice before at the Oxfordshire and Ganton ten/11 years ago,” said Riley.

“The first time I had to qualify but the second I was exempt because I had reached the quarter-finals in the English Amateur Matchplay Championship at Bromborough in 2005.”

Given his pedigree, it is quite surprising Riley never enjoyed a more prolonged stay on the professional stage.

“I think you have to be exceptional to be at that level now, I think you’re talking a plus five or plus six handicap if you want to make the sort of money you need to make to earn a living,” he said.

“I played the EuroPro Tour, I tried to make my card in Asia and in South Africa and I didn’t get anywhere. I soon found that you need the finances behind you to make a real go of it. If you don’t have the finances, you need to be exceptional and win regularly. That’s why I decided to try something else and I headed out to Dubai.”