John O'Sullivan on a struggling pro putting in the work as he battles to earn his full European card

There weren't many people in Dublin airport when Colm Moriarty collected his clubs at 1.15am on Monday morning, having endured a convoluted day of travel, tiring but laced with satisfaction.

He travelled home from Toulouse via Bristol on a journey that incorporated a seven-hour wait for a connection. Ordinarily it would have been draining but this weekend had been different.

He'd heard about Padraig Harrington's triumph in the Dunhill Championship earlier that day and permitted himself a smile.

They share the same profession, that of a professional golfer, but are operating in different golfing stratospheres. Moriarty was returning from France where he'd finished in a tie for 49th place in a Challenge Tour event, earning 495.

The Athlone golfer was far from despondent, his mood upbeat after what he'd achieved in France. Having missed the previous eight cuts on the Challenge Tour, playing four rounds in Toulouse offered a vindication of sorts for the hard work he's put in on the practice ground in recent months.

Now in his third year as a professional, Moriarty decided at the start of the season he wasn't content to simply exist on the Challenge Tour - he'd finished 39th in the final standings last season - and to progress required fundamental swing changes.

He sought the help of renowned coach Pete Cowen and while he's yet to see the fruits of that decision in terms of money earned he knows his game has improved. Currently 189th in the Challenge Tour Order of Merit with earnings of 3,491, he'll be heading for PQ2 next month hoping to make it to Final Tour School and a chance to earn a card on the European Tour.

In his third year playing for money - he enjoyed an excellent amateur career that included playing Walker Cup - he's been to Tour School before and is well versed in the demands it will impose if he makes it.

"After missing eight cuts being around for the weekend in Toulouse felt like winning the Masters," he smiled.

"My results this season have been poor but I had a decision to make at the start of the season. I knew there were deficiencies in my game that I needed to address and I sought out Pete Cowen. I know that I have made good progress, particularly with my long game and my swing in general.

"I didn't want to be just another journeyman on the Challenge Tour. It was a tough decision but I want to have the game to compete on the main Tour. The flip side of the work I have done on my swing is that I have neglected other areas of my game and the one that has cost me all season is my short game. It's costing me three or four shots every round.

"Toulouse simply reinforced that. At one stage I was four under for the tournament and playing a par-five I had 140 yards to the pin, opted for a hard wedge instead of a nine-iron, finished 45 feet away and three-putted.

"On another (hole) I had 80 yards to the flag and put my wedge into the water. Mentally, I'm making those errors because at times I'm still not committing to the shots. The (remodelled) swing is better and it's just a question of being more assertive.

"I feel more confident now than I did at this time last year."

Moriarty will take the next 12 days off and head for warmer climes, either America or Portugal where he'll spend 75 per cent of the time working on his short game ahead of PQ 2.

The season hasn't all been doom and gloom as evidenced by his performance in the Nissan Irish Open - it was the second year in succession that he excelled - where he won 25,000.

That performance has reinforced his belief that he possess the game to compete with Europe's elite.

"The strong points of my game would be my driving and long to mid-irons but that aspect isn't really rewarded on the Challenge Tour. The fairways are pretty generous and it's really down to the short game, a facet of the game with which I have been struggling. In the Irish Open the course was set up tighter and that suited me better.

"I know what I have to work on at this stage and it's about building up confidence; Toulouse was a good starting point. I know I have to cut out the errors, the three or four shots that are killing me every round."

Moriarty is fortunate to be surrounded by a good support team, from his family to sponsors such as Glasson Golf Club, Irish Life, Team Ireland, Hyundai, TaylorMade and Adidas, which allow him to concentrate on his game without constantly worrying about the financial implications of a poor run of results.

"If you look at the fact that only four guys out of the Challenge Tour look like retaining their cards on the main Tour after this season. I had to take steps to make fundamental changes to my swing. I think that now I am better placed in terms of my swing to achieve my goal of playing on the European Tour.

"Obviously there are certain hills to climb over the next month but I am confident that I can do it."