Alan Mew powered back into contention for his European Seniors card at Pestano Golf Resort in Portugal yesterday.

A level par third round of 71 lifted the 49-year-old Stoneham clubman into a tie for 11th place at Final Tour School.

With one last big push today, Mew, pictured, was hoping to make the top eight which would guarantee unlimited entry on to the Seniors Over-50 Tour next year.

If he were to finish in the next eight, he'd still get his card but it would be a conditional entry into just some of the tournaments in 2003.

When the golfers at Tour School began their third rounds in Portugal yesterday, they were unsure whether it would be their last.

The third day's play had been washed out on Wednesday but, after getting in a full day yesterday and with the weather forecast favourable, the organisers decided to revert to the original format of four rounds.

Twice Hampshire amateur champion Mew knew he had his work cut out after slipping from two under on the first day to three over at halfway. Before rain drove the players off on Wednesday, he had managed to double bogey the second and, at five over, was in a tie for 19th place.

But, solidly in control of his game, Mew parred his way through to the short 15th where he picked up his first birdie of the day. He followed up with another a three at the 16th and was up to 11th place. Although he gave a shot back at the next, the par-five finishing hole yielded up another birdie, his third in a row there this week, leaving him in a strong position going into the final round.

If he makes his card, Mew, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, will revive a professional career which saw him play the European Tour and the Canada Cup back in the 1970s/80s.

He didn't, in fact, lose his card. He handed it in thinking he wouldn't be able to make a good living out of golf. In recent years Mew, who lives in Chandler's Ford, has been working for firm of stationers. But he gave that up to put in extra practice for Tour School.

Matt Blackey, who beat Mew in a Hampshire Championship final before he turned professional in 1997, was in good shape after the first round of the Omega Hong Kong Open - second event of the new European Tour season.

The Hayling Islander opened up with a first round 66 - three under par - to move into 15th place. After picking up two early bogies, Blackey notched up six birdies, only to give another shot back at the last.

It was nevertheless a vast improvement on last week when Blackey crashed out of the BMW Asian Open with scores of 80 and 75.