"I don't make these decisions on the spur of the moment” — Rookie Nolan opts to skip Q-School chance to get ready for next year

Liam Nolan poses for the camera after signing his deal with Dexcom, which manufactures in Galway

Liam Nolan is very much his own man and while skipping the chance to win his card at this week's DP World Tour Qualifying School might appear a foolhardy decision, he's convinced it's the right one as he aims to make all his dreams come true next year.

The Galway man (25) began the year with status on the third-tier Alps Tour but played brilliantly and took advantage of some early-season invitations to gain a foothold on Europe's second-tier HotelPlanner Tour.

For a long time, it appeared that he would win one of the DP World Tour cards awarded to the top 20 in the final Road to Mallorca Rankings.

But after struggling to find form in the second half of the season, he ended up 45th in the final standings after finishing joint last in the season-ending Rolex Grand Final on Sunday.

It was still a triumphant rookie campaign for the former Walker Cup star from the coastal village of Bearna, who has full status on Europe's second-tier circuit next season and will also get the occasional start on the main tour.

His top 45 status earned him an automatic spot at the Final Stage of the Qualifying School in Spain this week, but he won't be joining Conor Purcell, Mark Power, Max Kennedy, Cormac Sharvin or John Ross Galbraith in the 108-hole battle to make the top 20 and ties who will be awarded precious tickets to the big time.

Quite simply, he feels his game and his body are not ready for that gruelling test after a demanding but successful rookie year.

Liam Nolan. Picture: Niall O’Shea

"I was planning to play for a while, but then I decided against it," explained Nolan, whose focus on his card bid on the HotelPlanner Tour also prompted him to make the "difficult" decision to turn down an invitation to play in September's Amgen Irish Open at The K Club.

"It's just my body isn't feeling great at the moment, and my swing isn't feeling amazing either.

"So I just said, instead of the two more weeks of competition, I'd prefer to have two more weeks of practice and recovering and getting ready to go again.

"I have a very good status for next year, where I'll be focusing on HotelPlanner Tour and filling some gaps in the schedule with some DP World Tour events as well.

"So I'm happy, very happy, to do that and then go out and learn again on the Hotel Planner Tour and learn how to win and compete more."

While many players would give their right arms for the chance to battle for a card at Infinitum in Tarragona from Friday, Nolan knows his game was not where it needed to be.

He had three top-four finishes to his credit by May, but made just eight of 21 cuts at venues he'd never seen before and fell from tenth in the standings to 43rd heading to Mallorca.

"I 100 pc understand that most people would love to play the Final Stage but my game hasn't really been feeling great for a couple of months now," Nolan added.

"So I want to get that ready for next year, and go out and be ready to compete again, rather than having a very short window to  fix things and then feel like I'm underprepared, and I'm not where I want to be going to South Africa early next year.

As for his decision to turn down the invitation to join the likes of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington at the Irish Open, he has no regrets.

"I do what I feel is best for me, and with where I was in the rankings at the time [25th in the race for 20 cards], I was valuing rest more coming to the end of the season," he said of The K Club.

"The Irish Open is nearly like a major and those weeks, they can drain you. I took that week off and I practised instead, which was hard.

"And look it, it didn't pay off, because I didn't play great getting back then from my next tournaments. But it's the decision I felt right with, and I have no regrets in doing that.”

He added, "Obviously, you can have a miracle week like Shane Lowry had in 2009. But I was backing myself to get into the top 20 on the HotelPlanner Tour.

"It didn't pay off, but you have to make a lot of these tough decisions, like I did again this week.”

Qualifying School cards are no longer as strong as they once were and the HotelPlanner Tour route might be a better long term bet.

"You have to listen to what you're feeling in your head and what your body's saying to you, and where you feel your golf game is at, and look at the bigger picture as well,” Nolan went on.

"I don't make these decisions on the spur of the moment either. There are a lot of people involved, and I listen carefully to the opinions of people who are close to me.

Considering he's come from nowhere to become a solid tour player in just 12 months, he's proud of what he's achieved.

"It's been a great first year, so I'm delighted with it," he said.

"Absolutely."