The Graeme Storm Column

Jul 9 2008 By Graeme Storm

TOUR professional GRAEME STORM continues his exclusive column for Golf North East

I WAS absolutely delighted after the birth of baby daughter Grace last month - and my form has meant that I've probably seen a bit more of her than I had maybe planned. It's certainly been a bit of a stop-start season for me so far but I was well pleased with the way things were going until I took my break for Grace's birth at the start of April.

I ended up taking six weeks off and while I was pleased with my game during practice at that time, when I went back to the European Tour I managed to miss a couple of cuts and that affected me badly.

After those setbacks - and I was particularly disappointed not to have done better at the BMW Championship at Wentworth in the strong winds - it was a case of just trying to put some scores together.

Things went much better at the Austrian Open where I finished in the top 20, but then I missed the cut at the Players' Championship at Muirfield Village in the US.

Even so, it was another great experience to play in the US and I have to take a lot of positives from it.

It's all meant that I've spent a lot more time at home in Hartlepool in June than I had planned.

It's been great to watch the subtle changes in Grace as she's progressed.

Now, I really need to get things together on the Tour.

I feel very good with my game. I don't think there are any major issues but we'll have to see how it goes over the next month or so.

In that time, of course, I will be defending the French Open title. It will be the first time that I've ever defended any title and so it will be a really special occasion for me.

I just want to do justice to defending the title.

After that I'll be building for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale - and it would be fantastic to do well there.

I'm really aiming to try and get in the world's top 11 by then so I qualify for the final major of the year, the USPGA.