Former British Amateur champion Graeme Storm has summed up the feelings of those fighting for their future on the European Tour in just one word - "nervous".

This week's Italian Open in Sardinia represents the last chance for those players battling to get into the top 115 on the Order of Merit and retain their card for next season.

Among them is Waterville's David Higgins, whose disappointing finish in last week's Madrid Open left him at 122nd in the moneylist, agonisingly close to the cut mark. Higgins must make tomorrow's cut, but then should need only a reasonable weekend to secure his ticket to next season's play.

While Retief Goosen has already wrapped up the Order of Merit title with more than £1.7 million sterling in prize money, less than £100 could be the difference between success and failure at the other end of the spectrum.

Storm lies 118th on the money list, three places and around £3,000 from safety in his first full season on the European Tour.

And the 23-year-old from Hartlepool admitted he was feeling the pressure as he tries to avoid an instant return to the dreaded qualifying school from where he graduated last November.

Asked to sum up his feelings, Storm, who turned professional after the US Masters in 2000, where he and his mother became the first such player-caddie combination in the tournament's history, said: "Nervous, to be truthful.

"But I'm trying to stay relaxed as much as I can. I've been playing well the last three or four weeks. Last week I got off to a good start but didn't quite finish it off."

Storm's cause has not been helped by the massive increase in the amount of money necessary to retain playing privileges.

Last year Rodger Davis of Australia got the last spot from the money list with just over £70,000; this year that would currently only be good enough for 135th position. Storm has banked over £93,000 and is still in need of another cheque here.

"Before last week everyone was saying just make the cut and you'll have done enough; I made the cut and it wasn't enough," added Storm, whose best finish this season was third in the Open de Argentina.

"At the start of the year everyone was saying £80-85,000 would be enough. I get £93,000 and all of a sudden I've got to make another cut.

"I can't control anybody else's game, I can only control my own, and I just have to go out and forget about the money and keeping my card and try to finish in the top 10 or even win the tournament.

"You have to think like that, if you start thinking about other people or just making cuts then I'm wasting my time. My destiny is in my own hands and I'm looking forward to teeing it up and getting out and playing."

Defending champion Ian Poulter has no such worries. Last year's rookie of the year has already added a second tour victory in Morocco this season, and instead is looking forward to representing England in the World Cup in Japan in a fortnight.

Meanwhile, the US Tour has its traditional finish this weekend with the Tour Championship in Houston, Texas. Defending champion Phil Mickelson will be missing after the birth of his second child last week. The Tour's leading players will be playing for a purse of $5 million.

Art Wall, who won the 1959 Masters, died yesterday. Wall, who would have turned 78 next month, won 14 PGA Tour events in a career that began in 1949. He was the Player of the Year in 1959 when he won four times, led the money list and captured the Vardon Trophy.

Wall birdied five of the last six holes in 1959 to beat Cary Middlecoff in one of the largest final-round comebacks in Masters history. He trailed by five strokes with seven holes to play.