Bristol's Chris Wood bemoans lost concentration

Chris Wood is heading for the Estoril Open de Portugal this week

Bristol golfer Chris Wood accepts he needs to improve the mental side of his game on the course.

The 22-year-old put himself in a great position with a course record-equalling 65 in the first round of the Wales Open at the Celtic Manor.

But dropping five shots in the final six holes on his way to a disappointing second-round 76 proved a huge setback.

"I'm not one to give up but I certainly lost my concentration," said Wood, who finished tied for 46th place.

"After the second round, it's been difficult to feel as upbeat and positive as I would like to have done," he told BBC Radio Bristol after posting a closing 76 to complete a miserable tournament.

"It's difficult to play well after that and that's what I've struggled with over the weekend."

It's been pretty solid, I'm just looking for a little more consistency and I won't be too far away

Chris Wood

Wood held a one-shot lead over a strong field after the first round but suffered double bogeys at the fifth, 13th and 17th holes of his second round to slide out of contention.

"I had a lovely start but then three disappointing rounds after that so it's another week where I had a brief time near the lead," he added.

Wood says there are "a couple of course management things" which need ironing out with his caddie before he competes in the Estoril Open de Portugal, beginning on Thursday.

"There were a couple of shots we rushed a bit on Friday. Once you've decided on a shot, you have to completely commit to it and not back out of it," said Wood.

"Apart from that the game's there. It's been pretty solid, I'm just looking for a little more consistency and I won't be too far away."

Wood, who was named the European Tour's Rookie of the Year in 2009 after finishing third in The Open at Turnberry, has made a steady start to 2010.

He has won 344,000 euros and is currently in 34th place in the Race to Dubai, the tour's order of merit rankings list.

The former England amateur, though, insists he is not seriously thinking about the Ryder Cup, which takes place at the Celtic Manor in October.

"It's not really been one of my main goals all year. I'm still in my second year and I'm just looking to establish myself as one of the better players," he added.

"That [the Ryder Cup] is at the back of my mind."