GRAEME STORM hopes a change of approach will bring a change of fortunes when he heads out at the Wentworth Club today rubbing shoulders with some of the best golfers in the world.

After making the cut for only the second time this year at the Spanish Open last weekend, the Hartlepool golfer is looking to build on that over the next ten days.

Storm’s reward for changing his coach last week was to end up tied 33rd in Barcelona, which represented his best finish of 2015 ahead of today’s first round at the BMW PGA Championship.

The 37-year-old said: “I got chatting to Jamie Gough, the brother of the (former) Everton defender Richard, when I was out in China. He has been around the Tour for years so I have got to know him and I liked what he was saying.

“I asked him if he had room for me in his stable to take a look at a few things and that’s where it started really. He took me back to basics, nothing too technical and it seemed to work because I worked with him every day last week.

“He is always on Tour, so it’s good to know that he is there to talk to, so hopefully it will prove beneficial because things have not been going too well. It was nice to make the cut last week, so we will go from there. It felt good.”

After making the cut in Spain he finished with a satisfying 68 on Sunday to climb up the leaderboard and secure a cheque of just under £10,000. In many respects it was the ideal lift ahead of rubbing shoulders with Rory McIlroy and Co at Wentworth ahead of another big outing for him personally next week.

Storm said: “Just to get a cut was massive. To shoot 68 when around the 74 mark had been like playing level par for me was nice, now I just want to build on it.

“Playing at Wentworth this week is probably the biggest tournament I will be playing unless I qualify for the Open. Hopefully the weather is fine and I’m looking forward to it because making that last cut was absolutely massive for me.

“I’m also looking forward to next week at the Irish Open as well; it’s at Royal County Down where I won the British Amateur 17 years ago so I still have fond memories of that place. I’d love to play well. I’d love everything to improve over these two weeks.

“It’s hard to believe that was all that time ago. Your career flashes you by, I have had a lot of ups and downs during that time, and my career has not been as smooth as I would have liked it to be. But it’s been a great experience. Hopefully after a slow start to this year I have something to build on.”

Storm’s preparations had a successful start to the week, even if a little more unusual. He won a three-man battle of Footgolf at Ritchings Park, ten miles from Wentworth.

The Rockliffe Hall Tour professional said: “GAC, one of my sponsors who have a base on Teesside, lined up this game with two other Race to Dubai golfers, George Coetzee and Byeong Hun An. I could not kick the ball to start with then I birdied one of them to win.

“It was good fun, enjoyed it, now I am getting the clubs out again and hopefully I can enjoy a good week at Wentworth too.”

*Graeme Storm is an ambassador for global logistics provider GAC. For more information visit www.gac.com

For video footage of Storm in action playing Footgolf then log on to www.northernecho.co.uk later this week