WILTSHIRE professional Andy Beal is making one final effort to return to the European Tour.

Despite having his left eye removed because of a life-threatening disease 16 months ago, he has never lost his enthusiasm or determination to re-join the big golfing league.

He is now 37 and again representing his original club Salisbury and South Wilts, where he started as a junior.

During his career he has been at High Post, East Dorset (twice), Erlestoke Sands, Bowood and Hamptworth.

He has been greatly encouraged by members at Salisbury, who have rallied round to raise enough money for him to play on the Challenge Tour.

As the leading 15 players at the end of the season win automatic places on the main tour, he has a great incentive to do well.

He has spent the last year adjusting his game to suit his disability and feels he is winning the battle.

He said: "My long game is good enough but there is still a problem in bunkers.

"Although I have got a lot better I still have to hold my breath that I don't touch the sand.

"I also need to maintain my putting stroke as the greens are the key to everything.

"I feel I've adjusted pretty well, but I've still got to perform."

The Salisbury members organised a special golf day, when the club allowed courtesy of the course and 15 teams competed in an event that raised enough money to fund Beal's efforts for the next two months.

"That was a marvellous gesture because I got through a lot of my savings in the winter," he said.

Despite Beal's hopes of a return to top-level sport, he knows that, as a married man with three children, he has to be realistic.

He has been working four days a week in the professional's shop at Salisbury for the past couple of months to keep the money coming in.

He hopes the job will be only temporary, for he is yearning to recapture the form that has brought him on-and-off European Tour status since 1996.

His best finish was third in the Madeira Open in 1998, the year he won his biggest cheque of more than £22,000 for joint sixth place in the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth.

He lost his card at the end of the 2001 season.

Salisbury members will be following his progress closely, hoping his hard work and determination will be rewarded.