Max Harris returns to America at the end of this month facing his first season on the Hooters Tour.

From February until early September and three times each month, no fewer than 160 competitors at a time attempt to negotiate a crucial rung on the ladder to fame and fortune in the toughest golf school in the world.

Every tourney sponsored by the American restaurant chain is concentrated on the East Coast and the pickings are lean for all those failing to finish in the top 20.

Max's sights are set on success rather than mere survival. He reckons that playing the tour will cost a good 60,000 dollars and that figure can only be covered by seven months of consistently good golf.

For a couple of weeks Max has been back at his Rustington home to enjoy Christmas with the family and has had the odd round at Ham Manor after failing in November to succeed at the US qualifying school. Then he nearly made it to the big time but lost out in a five-man play-off.

Harris said: "I can't wait to start. When I failed to qualify for the major tour I wasn't playing too good but I qualified for the Hooters Tour after a lesson from David Leadbetter. I've got some sponsorship and that will help towards the cost of travelling and living and, come next November, I'll have another shot at trying to make the big stuff. "