Matt Blackey should have been in South Africa this week playing alongside his Hampshire pal Justin Rose in the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

Last season Blackey finished just four places below Rose in the Volvo European PGA Order of Merit.

But now they could be a million miles apart. In reality a few thousand miles separate them this week for while Rose is playing in South Africa, Blackey can only practise in Florida.

Because last November at San Roque on the Cosa del Sol, Rose regained his European Tour card but Hayling Islander Blackey missed out by ONE place.

The top 35 qualified, Blackey finished 36th and now he faces the daunting reality of a return to the European Challenge Tour where hungry fighters produce mind-boggling low scores, but only the top 15 at the end of the season qualify for the main European Tour.

Based on last year's 127th finish in the Volvo Order of Merit and 36th card at Tour School, one-time Hampshire Open champion Blackey could reasonably count on at least ten starts on the main tour in 2001.

But he says: "I wouldn't bank on it. This is a Ryder Cup qualifying year and the top players will get involved in more events which means fewer places for the likes of me."

Blackey ruefully reflects on how his short game cost him his card at San Roque. He says he didn't chip or putt well enough, but his biggest regret was an over-bold approach to the last hole of the six round qualifying tournament.

"I thought I needed a birdie and attacked the hole," he says. "It was a dog leg and I overdid the drive and left myself a difficult second shot. The upshot was I missed the green and took a bogey five. As it happened a par would have been enough to get me my card."

He spent a week or two in the doldums but mentally has had to pick himself up. After consulting coach Tim Barter at Botley Park, he took himself off to Florida last week for warm-weather training.

Gary Emerson's had so many top 20 places in the last five years on the European PGA Tour that's there's only one way to go for him - to the top of the leaderboard.

The Salisbury-based golfer, who tees it up this week in Johannesburg, has been in winning positions a few times before. He led going into the final day of the English Open once and finished up 11th.

But his worst fall from grace was at the Smurfit European Open in Dublin last year when he tumbled from the first place to last in just one day!

Each time, though, Emerson has had the character to battle back.

But if he strives for anything this season, it's for more consistency, not through a season but through a tournament.

His 17th place in the Volvo PGA at Wentworth was one of three top 20 finishes last year on his way to 98th in the order of merit with earnings of £89,000.