Nolan sets sights on US Tour after superb season

They joke about Keith Nolan that he'll never need waterproofs. Whether its blazing sunshine or an icy northerly wind, the extent of Nolan's protection against the weather elements is unlikely to extend any further than a flimsy polo shirt. Already, it's his fashion trademark.

During the European Amateur Team Championships at Portmarnock in June, as an unseasonal bitter wind had others reaching for sweaters and hand-warmers, Nolan stood resolute. "I don't like the restrictions of a sweater," he explained, just as he'd remarked the previous September during the Home Internationals in Moray, Scotland, when an arctic chill had left players (with the exception of Nolan) and spectators shivering.

But, then, Nolan won't require thick garments where he intends to play most of his golf from now on. Since finishing a highly impressive amateur career - so good that he is named as golfer of the century in A History of Golf in Bray, the official history of Bray Golf Club - Nolan, a graduate of East Tennessee State University, has decided to remain in the United States to pursue a professional career.

Signed-up by the influential International Management Group (IMG), he has bought an apartment in Louisville, ideally based for commuting to the various tournaments, and has chosen the Nike Tour, a route also taken by Tom Lehman amongst others, to develop his game. The full US Tour, however, remains his prime target.

No-one doubts that Nolan will make the grade. His curriculum vitae (which includes representative honours in Eisenhower Trophy and Walker Cup) as an amateur speaks volumes for his talent and attitude. The only real regret from Nolan's final year in the amateur game is that his appearances in Ireland were so confined. When he did play, however, he left his mark; most notably in the Irish Amateur Open at Fota Island.

Nolan returned to Cork in June, just a couple of weeks after competing in the NCAA Championship finals at Conway Farm in Chicago. Tiger Woods is a former winner of these collegiate championships and, as such, they received coast-to-coast airplay on US television.

For three rounds, Nolan - seeking to become the first non-American winner - led the way. However, a final round 74 for a 72-holes total of four under par 280 cost him dearly and, instead, the Bray golfer finished in a tie for third-place, one shot behind eventual champion Charles Warren, of Clemson, who beat Texan Brad Elver in a play-off. Still, it was a remarkable achievement for Nolan. His performance in Fota Island was just as impressive, the only difference being that he emerged as a winner. Nolan retained his Irish Amateur Open title when compiling a five-under-par total of 279, leaving him six shots ahead of Richard Coughlan and Noel Fox. "I'm proud to have won the title again . . . it was important to come back and prove what I can do," he said.

Nolan, finally suffering some reaction to jet-lag, also played in the Waterford Scratch Cup the next week (where he enthused about the eventual winner, Derry teenager David Jones), prior to leading Ireland's challenge in the European Championships. In the first round of stroke-play qualifying at Portmarnock, Nolan had the lowest round of any competitor - a 70 - but the match-play stages didn't bring the expected joy and, eventually, Ireland had to settle for third place.

A prior engagement - the Walker Cup at Quaker Ridge - meant he couldn't play in the Irish Close championship. Nolan's Walker Cup memories, however, will only recall defeat. Britain and Ireland lost to the Americans 18-6, with Nolan admitting: "I'm bitterly disappointed, it wasn't a question of being overcome by the occasion. I was as relaxed as I might be in a championship back home. I just putted badly, it's as simple as that." Initially, Nolan had intended to put off turning professional until after the Home Internationals in Burnham and Berrow, Somerset, last month. However, the chance to give himself every possible opportunity in his chosen profession proved too strong and, so, the 24-year-old native of Bray turned professional marginally ahead of schedule.

When Nolan's name is mentioned, the memory of most senior members of Bray Golf Club is of a youngster spending hour upon hour on the club's putting green. "I was about five or six at the time," recalls Nolan. He has come a long way since then, and the season of 1997 - which has marked his transition from amateur to professional - suggests the best has yet to come.