Peter Godsiff

Yet has the 25year-old from Portishead, near Bristol, been given the full recognition he deserves? I think not.

All right, Bristol Evening Post golf writer Chris Bartlett my successor as sports editor just can't get enough copy on Morgan. He quite rightly appreciates the remarkable feat. He is in weekly contact and brings all the news back to the West Country.

But there has not been much interest elsewhere. The national newspapers gave him good coverage when he battled through the many qualifying rounds in the States before he gained his card.

The golf magazines have followed suit. But, now the new season has started, you have to invest in the most powerful microscope to see more than the odd reference in the results.

When he shot an amazing career-best nine-under-par 63 in the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in California to make the halfway cut after an opening 77, it was hardly mentioned.

He is still feeling his way. Despite an 11th place finish at final qualifying, after leading for quite a while, he is not guaranteed entry to all tournaments.

Although he missed the cut in the AT and T Pro Am at Pebble Beach that is more American showbiz than golf, he earned just under $25,000 in the next three events.

That included the Ford Championship over the Blue Monster course at Doral in Miami.

His sole target this year is to make enough money to secure his card for next year. But he faces a supremely difficult task in the toughest golf tour in the world.

Luckily he has signed with Barry Hearn's Matchroom stable and has been awarded generous sponsorship by Nike the manufacturers backing Tiger Woods.

Morgan was playing amateur golf in Somerset and the West until he turned professional last year.

He announced himself by winning the Charles Church Challenge Tour event at Bowood last summer. The organisers quite understand why he will not be back to defend his title.

Everyone in the West and all over Britain should be rooting for Morgan, the son of a Bristol docker. If he does retain his card he should be voted England's golfer of the year for he would have won more than half a million dollars.

Rod Hibbitt has taken over as the new Cotswold Edge club professional much to the disappointment of his father Kenny and Sky TV football expert Andy Gray.

Hibbitt Snr and Gray were footballing colleagues at Wolves in the 1980's and have retained a close friendship.

When Rod wanted to become a professional golfer and needed money to chase his dream, both his father and Gray helped out financially.

For two years he played in Mastercard and West Region PGA tournaments with some success. But he never made the required progress.

When his mentor David Gosling left six weeks ago he was offered the job.

He told me: "Dad and Andy are pretty close. They agreed to sponsor me for two years when I really tried to make it as a player. But it didn't work out and now I've come to my senses. I am settling down and getting married in June so have a lot more responsibilities."

He has bought a house in the Gloucestershire village of Hillesley near his golf-mad parents. Ken, who plays off one, and the club's former ladies' captain Jane, whose handicap is now 13, have been members at Cotswold Edge for many years.

But Rod still hopes to play occasionally this summer. He managed to start three tournaments last year and finished 35th in the West Region order of merit.

The 26-year-old former Gloucestershire county amateur joined Gosling as an assistant in 1997 and passed his PGA exams three years later.

Incidentally Kenny has managed a few football clubs since he finished playing, among them Walsall and Cardiff City. He now does some media work.

He spends some time in the Midlands on radio work and makes regular appearances on Sky Sports.

Gray, like most Scots, is an avid golfer. He occasionally takes some of his pals away on golfing breaks. Kenny was fortunate enough to accompany him on an expenses-paid trip to Spain.

David King, the secretary of the South West Counties Golf Association, is well on the way to recovery after being diagnosed with leukaemia last year.

The former Gloucestershire president who has held virtually every office at Knowle, was back in harness at the South West match against the British Universities at Bath.

He said: "I've been given an 80 per cent chance and they seem quite happy I just have to have faith in them."

He is now wondering how much an enforced lay-off of around seven months will affect his game. He plays off eight and may be looking to the handicap committee for a spot of assistance if he finds the going too tough.

In his absence, Gloucestershire secretary Ian Watkins took charge of the organisation of the seniors' championship at the end of last season.

Cornwall president's Geoff Batty supervised the junior championship at Bude and North Cornwall.

David, who took over from the long-serving John Lumley from North Wilts, plans to play a full role once more.

He is fortunate that his wife Joy is a former Knowle secretary so is accustomed to the organisation necessary.

She said: "We have already done most of the planning for this year's South West Week at Burnham and Berrow in June"

All their many friends in golf are delighted with the encouraging news.