PAUL Dwyer is on course to win his first European Tour card.

The 27-year-old professional, who is attached to Clitheroe, lies 15th on the European Challenge Tour after eight events.

He began the 10th event, the Galeria Kaufkof Pokal Challenge in Germany today, hoping to continue the form he has already shown on the Tour.

If he stays in the top 15 -- there are 22 events left -- he will get a European Tour card for next season.

"There is a long way still to go," said Dwyer, who lives in Read. "But if someone would have told me I'd be 15th after eight events I would have been happy."

Dwyer rose to 14th in the rankings after finishing an impressive second at the NCC Open in Sweden, but after an 11th place finish at the Danish open, he dropped down to 15th.

But the gap between himself and the leading pack has been reduced.

"The gap between 10th and 14th was two or three grand before Denmark but now it is only a few hundred pounds so it was a step back and a step forward," said Dwyer, who has made around £10,000 on the Tour so far.

Dwyer, who reached the second stage of the European Tour qualifying school last year, says he will return to qualifying if he doesn't finish in the top 15.

"There are two chances. You can qualify this way or go through qualifying. You can still go to qualifying school after playing on this Tour, in fact, if you finish in the top 45 you go straight to the final stage of qualifying."

After five years as a professional, Dwyer is desperate to get what has so far been an elusive European Tour card.

After being one of the leading players at the second round last year but failing to qualify, he saw a sports psychologist to clear his head.

"After practically leading the second round and then not even getting through was a massive disappointment. I had a couple of sessions with a psychologist over the winter and it helped me a little bit. It cleared my head of negatives.

"I started this season fresher and looking a better player."

Dwyer spent the winter on the South African Tour.

"I didn't do that well," he said. "I made the cut in four out of six tournaments but never featured in the top five or 10.

"But it was good after two months off to get back into it. It definitely helped me to be out there every day. Otherwise I would have just been sat at home.

"I lost money because you do on these tours unless you are in the top three or four every week but it is worth it to keep the game up, especially if you are trying to get on one of the main tours.

"The European Tour is what I have been working toward since I was 12, 13 and 14, not just since I turned pro.

"I have always worked hard on my game ever since I took it up. We are all talented golfers, some are more talented than me but don't get the rewards because they don't work as hard." The European Tour is what I have been working toward since I was about 12 years old