THREE practice days in Durban will give Jeremy Robinson a good indication as to how his opening 2002 European Tour event will progress, writes Mervyn Collins.

It's the best part of three months since the Evesham professional fired a shot in anger but if he carries on the form that regained his Tour Card then he could make a profitable start.

"I don't know what sort of form I will be in," Robinson honestly declared. "All I know is that if I play as well as I did last season then I shouldn't have a problem in retaining my card.

"I've been to the driving range and was hoping to get some practice in in Scotland over the new year but the snow put paid to that."

The 35-year-old teed off earlier today in the South African Open on a course he knows from previous years.

The field should be a good one with half the players from South Africa and the other half European Tour stars.

Robinson is looking for consistency and a good start as he bids to avoid another visit to Tour School - a prospect he finds increasingly more daunting.

"I lacked a big finish last year but there is bigger prize money at stake this time around," he admitted.

"It would be nice to make a good start. I finished fifth, ninth and 11th in the early part of 1994 and that set me up for the year."

Prize money isn't great in South Africa with £m up for grabs at the Country Club in Durban and the same at the Dunhill Championship in Johannesburg next week.

Robinson, who will celebrate his birthday on his anticipated return on January 21, added that he could make the trip to Sydney next month for the ANZ Championship which starts on February 7.