Richard Bland and close friend Matt Le Tissier are set to forge closer links on the 2003 European Tour.

Saints legend Le Tissier will caddie for Bland in five events in the New Year starting with the Singapore Masters on January 23 and continuing with three events in Australia, including the prestigious Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth.

Highlight for Le Tissier, though, will come in the Dubai Desert Classic on March 6 when he actually gets to play in the pro-am event which precedes the main event.

Le Tiss is a single-figure handicap player at Stoneham and should give a decent account of himself on one of the miracles of the golfing world, a lush course which has been cultivated in the middle of the desert.

Bland's season gets under way on Thursday when he tees off in the South African Open in Cape Town, where he'll have a local caddie.

The following week, it's north to Houghton GC, where another Hampshire player, Justin Rose, will be defending the Dunhill Championship title.

Stoneham tournament professional Bland is looking to build on a tremendous first year on the European Tour in which he earned £203,000, was a five-feet putt away from winning a play-off for the Murphy's Irish Open, and took second place to Nick Doherty for the Tour's Rookie of the Year award.

Mentally, the six-times Hampshire Open champion is stronger than ever before and, having proved that he is capable of competing with the best with second place in the Irish Open and sixth in the BMW German Open, he's set to take his game on to a new level.

Friends have always been important to Bland.

It was a long chat with Le Tissier in 2001, when he was struggling to cut the mustard on the European Challenge Tour, that made him start to believe in his own immense ability.

And, as he sets out on a new season, one of his best golfing pals, former Hampshire foursomes partner Matt Blackey, will be getting on the plane to South Africa with him.

They have known each other since they were kids; now they neighbours in Southampton.

Bland recently bought an apartment in a new block in Bassett Green and, when he heard that Blackey, too, was looking for somewhere of his own, he recommended one the flats in the same complex.

Blackey came from Hayling Island, had a look, liked it and bought it. Now they not only share the same apartment block but the same coach, Tom Barter, at Botley Park.

And, more important for Blackey, he is back for only his second full season on the European Tour having taken third place on the Challenge Tour last year.

Blackey already has money in the bank for the new season with a top-20 finish in the Hong Kong Open last month.