Philip Walton has only a slim chance of regaining his European Tour card after a disastrous 81 in the fifth round of the Qualifying School at San Roque yesterday.

The Ryder Cup hero of 1995 goes into the final round on a ten over par total of 370, and even if the bone-chilling northerly wind does abate, he will need to score no worse than 66 to have a chance of an exempt place on the 2000 circuit.

In contrast it should be plain sailing for Gary Murphy. The Kilkenny professional had the day's lowest round, a two under par 70, and climbed from joint 13th after 72 holes to fourth place, three shots behind new pacemaker Niclas Fasth of Sweden. Although he was not prepared to concede as much after a terrible finish in which he dropped six strokes in the last six holes, it looks all over for Walton. Walton had got out of gaol on Saturday by battling to an inward 33 and a 70 that put him three shots inside the four over par cut that allowed a field of 77 to contest the final 36 holes.

First out from the 10th, he was buffeted to an outward 40, and though he birdied the first inward hole to be only four over, big trouble was on the horizon.

At the fourth (his 13th) he lost his balance in the headwind and hit his six-iron approach little more than ten yards. His next stroke did not find the green, and he took three more to get down for a double bogey. Three putts followed at the fifth and another double bogey went on his card at the short seventh where he also three-putted. Two closing fives saw Walton back in 41, and his prospects for next season in tatters.

Barring a catastrophic collapse, Murphy is certain to receive his, and thoroughly deserves to after a campaign in which he has concentrated on hitting as many greens as possible, and avoiding ruinous error.

Though he has had to accept his share of bogeys, and twice had "doubles", his high strike rate of 20 birdies has more than compensated, and for a long time yesterday he looked likely to achieve the distinction of being the only player to break 70.

Out in 33, after sinking putts of 15 and 25 feet at the third and sixth, and two-putting the ninth, Murphy added a fourth birdie at the 15th. But three putts from 40 feet at the 16th, and a misjudgment of the wind at the 18th cost him a blemish-free card. David Higgins who had a fourth round 73 for 293, finished one shot outside the qualifying mark on Saturday, while Peter Lawrie's 77 for 299 was seven too many.