IT HAS felt like an age, but thankfully the wait is almost over as I prepare to return to the European Tour.
I will have a scorecard in my hands again this weekend for the European Tour Qualifying School after a tortuous five-month absence.
I probably could not have picked a more difficult week to return. Six rounds in six days is not for the faint-hearted.
Tour school is notoriously tough but I cannot wait.
Succumbing to illness has meant this season has been the toughest of my career and there have been some dark times.
When you are out for so long, you start to have doubts about getting back and it gets you down being prevented doing what you love and what you do best.
The last two months have been better as I returned to something of a golfing routine and worked towards my goal.
Thankfully, now the end is in sight.
It has been a tough year but in some ways I think it has been a bit of a blessing.
After 13 years on tour you can go a bit stale and this enforced absence has really made me count my blessings and appreciate what I have.
It has given me back my hunger.
Qualifying school is arduous but I feel fit as ever, I am hitting the ball well and I am looking forward to it.
The key to success is treating it like a normal tournament.
A lot of players can get wrapped up in the pressure and it can be detrimental.
There are 108 holes ahead of you, so there is no need to panic and go gung-ho.
I have enjoyed a top-10 finish at the PGA Catalunya in the past. It is a course which suits my eye, so, hopefully, that will stand me in good stead.
I already have 10 tournaments guaranteed next season through my medical exemption but I still want to safeguard my card for the rest of the season and give myself the best chance of retaining it for the following year.
So, the pressure is still on. That is what professional sport is all about. We thrive on the adrenalin and that is what I have missed the most.
ON THE other side of the world, David Drysdale and Alastair Forsyth are flying the flag for Scotland at the World Cup in China.
David has had a fantastic year and, although Alastair has admitted he has not been at his best in 2009, he is a terrific player. The pair have every chance of emulating Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren’s success two years ago.
They face strong competition, though, including Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell and the English pair of Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher.
The Spanish duo of Sergio Garcia and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano are worth keeping an eye on at Mission Hills, a course designed by compatriot, Jose Maria Olazabal.
There will be no hangover for McIlroy. There was nothing he, or anyone else for that matter, could have done to prevent Lee Westwood winning the Dubai world championship and the Race to Dubai last week.
It was as close to perfect golf as you are going to get and I would not be surprised to see Westwood going on to win a major in 2010.
It was a stunning end to the season and it has only whetted my appetite for next year.