The next three weeks will determine whether or not I will get the chance to play in front of my local crowd in the Seve Trophy.

After a couple of weeks off - if you can call it such when you are moving into a new house - I flew here to Munich on Monday morning for the BMW International Open.

This is the first chance I have to really close the gap on those ahead of me in the European Tour Order of Merit.

It will be a tough ask to earn one of the four European Tour places in the ten-man Seve Trophy team - Kenneth Ferrie, Bradley Dredge and Nick Dougherty are in front of me and playing well.

Nevertheless, I would like to think I have a serious shout to be Colin Montgomerie's wild card to face Jose Maria Olazabal's side at Wynyard.

I know Wynyard like the back of my hand. I practise there, I know the greens and I know the fairways, so it would be brilliant to play when thousands descend on the course.

But I actually think I might miss out on the wild card. I think Ferrie or Dougherty will be included ahead of me, which would be a shame.

Ferrie, from Ashington and the only other North-East golfer on the circuit, has not been that much better than me this season but he has his first win behind him, having won the European Open earlier this summer.

After Munich I am in Switzerland next week for the European Masters and then, hopefully, I will have an invite to the German Masters. Then the Seve team is picked.

It would be a great feeling to play in the Seve but I'm also remaining realistic. Even if I don't make the team I have still had a fantastic first year back on Tour.

THE last time I played in the BMW International was back in 2001 and I made the cut. Here's hoping for a similar outcome this time.

I enjoy playing here, it's a low scoring course and it's always nice to go out and play those - providing the weather is nice.

Since arriving in Germany on Monday I spent the first night relaxing before playing the course for the first time on Tuesday. I intend to practise all day today before my first round tomorrow. Normal routine really and nothing too unusual.

IT was a pretty enjoyable couple of weeks off. As well as moving into my new house me and my missus, Sara, bought a nice Audi TT 225 last Friday and we drove around in that over the weekend.

I also had a day out at Anfield to watch my beloved Liverpool beat Sunderland 1-0 - although the Reds made hard work of the Black Cats.

Sunderland played quite well but Liverpool are in desperate need of Michael Owen. Hopefully he will be back in English football before I get back.

I have reason to believe he will and I think that would be fantastic for Liverpool, for the Premiership and increase England's chances of doing well in next year's World Cup.

Published: 24/08/2005