European Open: It came down to a five-foot putt that was worth about €4,000, writes John O'Sullivan at The K Club.

A smooth stroke and Gary Murphy departed the home green at The K Club with a birdie and a cheque for 25,698, his reward for finishing tied 27th in the Smurfit European Open.

Those numbers seem inconsequential in the context of modern professional golf and that's certainly the case for Tiger Woods and his ilk but for those whose livelihood could be decided by decimal points, every shot can count.

Murphy's level par 72 allowed him to creep up the Volvo Order of Merit from 132nd to 114th, one place inside the magical number of 115 that are guaranteed their card and playing rights for next year at the end of the season.

The 30-year-old has probably nine tournaments left to secure a position inside that cut-off point. In crunching the numbers, 11 cuts from 15 outings, Murphy has acquitted himself well but the scope is there to improve, particularly at the weekend. When he shot his five-under par, 67 on Thursday, serious money beckoned but by Friday evening's 75, ambition had been dulled somewhat.

Playing 36 holes in one under the card around The K Club is hardly shabby golf but Murphy couldn't help but feel frustrated, an emotion that has dogged him over the final three rounds.

A birdie at the opening hole should have provided the impetus to put together a good round but three bogeys in the next four holes - a three-putt and a little misfortune in which he was stymied by a tree and then found a clumped lie - arrested that momentum.

"It is frustrating. I wanted to get off to a good start, which I did at the first, but it didn't really happen. I hit a couple of slack shots and got punished. I had a couple of chances coming in. I shot two under on the back and could have shot five under.

"I hit a great shot at 14, a four-iron to eight feet beyond the hole and missed it, and then another at the next to 10 feet and missed it. I hit it in the water at 16 but I'd rather go for it and have a bad round than lay up. I've never laid up in my life. I didn't fancy going, wedge, wedge. I thought if I could make three and squeak something down the last I'd get in next week.

"You can't really go at that course because it will just gobble you up. You could shoot 76 in a heartbeat."

Fortune rarely favours those that need it most and Murphy endured the frustration of well-struck shots that didn't enjoy a decent result. A typical example was on the eighth green.

"I hit a solid seven-iron over the pin long and I end up getting up and down. In the air it looked like I could be driving the car (for a hole-in-one) home.

"It was that sort of a day and I'm fed up getting them, to be honest. You just have to stick in there and I did but 72 is an expensive day. On the 13th I hit eight (iron) right over the pin but down the back of the green; a great two-putt from 50 feet, but great two-putts from 50 feet for par isn't moving you up on a Sunday.

"To finish three under for the tournament is a travesty."

Murphy, though, isn't too disheartened, can't afford to be.

"If I keep playing as I am I'll have a nice big turkey for Christmas," and the one card he hopes to receive.