Gareth Maybin has been getting ready for the new season in South Carolina where he worked with Rickey Sullivan, the teaching pro at Bull’s Bay Golf Club near Charleston. According to thestate.com, “Maybin flew in from his home in Northern Ireland for four days of instruction.”

Sullivan is also teaching three recently-qualified PGA Tour pros - all from South Carolina - Scott Brown, Kevin Kisner and Tommy Biershenk.

A graduate of South Alabama University, Maybin will be hoping for better this year after struggling to keep his European Tour card last season. He finished 117th of the 118 who kept their playing rightsThe former Irish international finished tied 39th in the UBS Hong Kong Open, the final event of the regular season, earning a cheque for €13,327 to survive with just €4,000 to spare.

Maybin will make his 2012 debut in next week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.