AN awesome experience and I have exceeded all my expectations. That's how I would sum up my first season back on the European Tour.

And to finish what was already a memorable year by playing at the Volvo Masters over the weekend made it that little more special - even if I didn't play particularly well.

My biggest goal for next year, primarily, has to be to make sure I'm back at Valderrama to play in the end of season showpiece again by being in the top 60 of the Order of Merit.

Even if that means ending up 59th or 60th I'm not too bothered - although I would like to be higher - because I know finishing in that bracket will secure my place back on the European Tour again the following year.

In the past my experiences of the Tour have not been the greatest - purely because things did not go according to plan, although I did learn from those.

But this time around has been completely different. It has still been very much a learning curve and very hectic but extremely enjoyable.

I played more tournaments than everyone else - 32 to be precise - and to have missed just seven cuts was a massive achievement for me. If somebody had said that to me at the start of play I would have been delighted.

Looking back, perhaps I played a little too much golf towards the end and I suffered from burn out. I only opted out of competitions in Sweden and Russia, the rest were weeks off calendar for most of us.

The tiredness did eventually creep in and the week which highlighted that was at the dunhill links championship in October. That is always a long week and it took its toll on me mentally.

But, on the whole, I can look back on the past season with great pleasure because I don't have to worry about money for the short-term - having won around £470,000.

I know there are aspects of my game that I have to work on during the break, like putting and driving accuracy, but there are plenty of positives for me to take.

Possibly the biggest of those was I found 70.8 per cent of my Greens in Regulation and I was 15th best in that category.

THERE have been a lot of great memories over the past nine months or so and not all are related to golf.

But one particular shot and a couple of particular moments stick in the memory for me.

Storm's biggest achievement

Finishing second at the K-Club. I had gone over to Ireland not really thinking about winning the Smurfit European Open and by the end it had exceeded everything I had hoped for.

To pocket around £260,000 from that was brilliant and to have come so close to winning will stick in the memory. Finishing fifth in the Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe was also memorable.

Storm's shot of the season

I suppose that has to be my shot at the 17th in the final round at the K-Club. I was in the trees on the right hand side on the 424-yard par 4 for my second shot and I had the option of chipping out or going for it.

I decided to take it on and I landed 20ft from the pin. Had I landed in the water just short of the green I would have finished outside the top ten. It worked to my advantage and I finished second.

Storm's best moment

Even though my final placing at The Open Championship was not too fantastic, the sight of the legendary Jack Nicklaus walking up the 18th for the final time was unforgettable.

I was hanging around waiting to learn whether I had made the cut or not, so I was standing on the first tee when thousands of spectators, and some of the world's top golfers, gave Nicklaus a standing ovation as he walked over the famous Swilken Bridge at the Old Course, St Andrews, for the final time.

THERE'S no rest for the wicked, as they say, and I only have five weeks off before I embark on my second successive season on Tour.

I could have chosen not to return to the course until early next year but instead I think I will be heading off to South Africa on December 8 for the dunhill championship.

Having started there last season I'm reluctant to adopt a different early schedule because I want to get off to the perfect of starts.

If I can build momentum from the first tee then hopefully I can nick my first Tour win along the way, that would be fantastic. From there I will be relaxed because it would guarantee my card for the next three years.

As well as starting at the same place I won't be changing much. That means I will be keeping the same caddie Steve Rawlinson and coach Ian Rae.

And who knows, the three of us could be celebrating a European Tour triumph next time around - here's hoping

Published: ??/??/2005