EISENHOWER TROPHY AND CHALLENGE TOUR: After five years of trying to make the grade as a professional Peter Lawrie can at last see some light at the end of the tunnel.

His eighth place on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit going into this week's Grand Final, which starts today, guarantees the 28-year-old Dubliner a membership card on the main tour for 2003, whatever the result this week at the Golf Du Medoc club in Bordeaux.

The top 15 players are awarded tour cards and it is numerically impossible for Lawrie to miss out, whereas for Damien McGrane only a top-three place will enable him to climb up the rankings from 24th, while Gary Murphy needs to finish first or second.

Lawrie, who clinched his card with a tie for second place in Holland last week, said: "I can actually go to sleep at night now for a change."