Golf: Lee refuses to let slide get him down.

AFTER A bright start to the season, Lee Slattery has seen his ranking on the European Order of Merit slide.

His top 20 finishes in South Africa and New Zealand saw him forging his way up the listings. However a run of missed cuts means he has slipped outside the cut-off mark of 115th to retain his tour card.

But he refuses to lower his sights to merely doing enough to claw back his position in the qualifying positions.

'I am not having sleepless nights over where I am,' he says. 'There is still a long way to go in the season and a lot of events still to be played.

'It is not as if I have been playing rubbish and missing the cut by miles. In most cases it has just been one shot. The margins between success and failure in golf are marginal. One putt that doesn't drop can make all the difference.

'I don't feel I have got out of second gear yet.

I have yet to play my best golf. You are always looking to learn and improve and take the chances that come your way. But I am trying to think beyond merely keeping my card. I think it is important to set your sights as high as possible and not to lower your ambitions.

'I want to aim for top 10 finishes and I would love to be coming down the final stretch in an event and still in contention to win the tournament. You want to be involved in Open championships and even Ryder Cups. And why not?

'If you aim too low in sport there is a danger you might end up failing to fulfil your full potential.'

So despite the pressure, the highs and lows and the trials and tribulations can Slattery still return to his home course and enjoy a relaxing game of golf with his friends?

'Without doubt,' he says. 'I get a nice reception from the members at Formby Hall and I still love this game.

'It has been part of my life since the age of 10 and I always wanted to be a professional.

'My dad always used to say the chances of making it were millions to one, but each time I took a step up the ladder those odds shortned. And now here I am, doing what I always dreamed of