Richard Coughlan and Keith Nolan set out this morning on the greatest adventure of their lives, when they tee off in their first US tour event, the AT & T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Sitting in the dining room of his hotel yesterday morning, watching the breakers come in off the Pacific ocean, Coughlan talked of the change that has come over his life since he won that coveted players card back in December.

"I just had a great Christmas with family and friends and now with a day to go I don't really know what to think.

"I've had no negative feelings about playing against them and I didn't mind practising with the big boys yesterday.

"I'm just trying to make sure that I know these three courses well enough, as they are very long and you have to place a lot of your drives, which is very important. If you miss the fairway you can't get to the greens as the holes are long.

"At Pebble Beach you have to make your score over the first holes because playing 8, 9 and 11 with the beach on the right you are hitting two and three-irons into a gale and I've never done that before.

"On the day, regardless, it is whether you make the putts - we are all playing the same greens. But I'm hitting the ball very well and I'll just try and convert as much as I can. Yesterday I was hitting it over the end of the range and I'm carrying it 290."

There has been no shortage of encouragement and advice for the two new stars of Irish golf from both seasoned professionals and younger tour players alike.

Fuzzy Zoeller, now in his 23rd year on tour with 10 wins and over five million dollars to his name, said: "Tell them not to listen to all this crap from all these teachers and psychologists. Just to come out and play their game and stick with what they've got."

Asked if he felt there was a difference playing in this event as opposed to a normal format, Zoeller said: "I don't think it makes any difference. They still have to do the same thing, they've still got to shoot a score. They need to be patient and you learn that with experience and some kids are better at it than others."

Justin Leonard was full of praise for the achievements of Coughlan and Nolan. The British Open champion said: "You can go the whole week without being distracted by seeing all the different players and celebrities because there are three courses and really there is no locker room. But it's still a lot of fun and I enjoy walking on the driving range and talking to Joe Pesci, Kevin Costner and those guys."

Leonard did not agree with the oft held view that college golf was the perfect preparation for the tour. "It's very different from professional golf. The travelling, the fact that it's purely individual out here, and you know there are quite a few great college players that never made it.

"They have a big task ahead of them to get used to the life. It's very different but I think if you can come from Ireland and adapt to the universities here, you can certainly handle the transition from amateur to professional golf."

Finishing his breakfast yesterday, Coughlan summed up his intentions by saying: "My task is to keep my card and I shall give it one hundred per cent all the time. I know that the key will be to keep my concentration."

Optimistically referring to the three-round cut in this event as opposed to a normal two, he concluded: "Hopefully I will talk to you on Sunday night."