KENT golfer Andrew Butterfield missed the cut at the Huntingdale course at the Australian Masters last week.

But he has not given up hope of recapturing the 2005 form that earned him an impressive fourth placed finish on the Challenge Tour that year and subsequent European Tour qualification.

Bromley-born Butterfield revealed that a troublesome back injury has dogged his progress this year, and his confidence has waned after a disappointing 2007 season when he lost his European tour card.

But the soon-to-be-married 35-year-old is managing to look on the bright side as he heads to the New Zealand Open this week before taking a three-month break to rest his aching body.

“I had a very good year in 2005, but it was disappointing to only finish eighth on the Challenge Tour last season,” Butterfield said.

“I ended up playing on both tours-17 events on the European Tour and 13 events on the Challenge Tour-last year so I spread myself out too much instead of just sticking to one particular tour.

“My career has been quite long because I’ve been playing for over ten years-this is my twelfth season-and there are so many ups and downs to it. If you’re lucky enough to play for twenty or thirty years, you are bound to experience highs and lows no matter how good or bad you are and that’s exactly what’s happened to me.

“Looking ahead to next season and next year, I won’t play again until February or March, so I’m going to have a nice break and I’m getting married in December so maybe I’m preoccupied with that rather than concentrating a hundred percent on my golf.”

And Butterfield added: “Right now I’m a little bit tired, a little bit injured, and not playing very well so it’s difficult at the moment, but I know that once I have a break, get in the gym again, and get fit by working hard with my coach I will come back in a much better frame of mind in three months time.”