GOLF: In the battle to retain a card, every last cent counts. And although these are still early days in a European Tour season that has meandered its way around the globe, criss-crossing time zones in Asia and Australia but which has still to reach Europe, each shot is precious for those who know how tough ultimate survival can be.

Which is why Gary Murphy was a little mad at himself after yesterday's first round. For much of the journey over the Mijlas course, the Kilkenny golfer was in cruise mode. More than that, he was moving up the leaderboard with the intent of someone who has been to the tour qualifying school or to pre-qualifying on no fewer than eight occasions.

But as the salvation of the recorder's hut drew ever closer, so did the bogeys arrive. After 13 holes, Murphy was three-under-par and playing like someone who could muster another birdie or two. It wasn't to happen, though.

"I just got sloppy, and I can only think that it's because I'm just a little bit rusty," remarked Murphy, who suffered three bogeys in the last five holes to sign for a level-par 72.

In an eventful round that featured four birdies and four bogeys - and a remarkably good par save on the 18th, his ninth, where the wind died as he was on the downswing on his three-wood approach and the ball flew the green and rebounded back off the grandstand into the water - Murphy was, to say the least, a little disappointed that so much good work was undone over the closing holes.

The bogeys arrived in quick succession at the fifth, where he missed the green with his approach, the seventh, where he three-putted from 40 feet, and the eighth where he again missed the green and then missed a four-footer for par.

In contrast, Peter Lawrie's round was one of salvaging something from potential disaster. He also shot a level-par 72, but his round was constructed in a much different manner. The Dubliner was three-over-par as he walked to the eighth tee and struggling to find his rhythm - all it took for him to get into the swing of things, however, was one good tee-shot. So it was that he got his shots back with birdies on the ninth, 13th and 16th holes and missed chances from inside 10 feet on the last two holes.

"If someone had offered me a level-par round as I'd walked on to the eighth tee box, I'd have said, 'yes thanks, let's walk in'," said Lawrie, who has missed the cut in his last four tournaments. "I'm delighted at the way that I managed to turn things around and hopefully I can carry that momentum on."

Graeme McDowell, meanwhile, faltered badly over his closing stretch when suffering bogeys at three of his last four holes for a 74. "I got myself into really good positions but didn't take advantage. I was burning the edges (of the hole) all day and found the greens quite difficult to read," he said.