ALAN MEW's nerve was put to its greatest test yesterday - and the Stoneham golfing ace came through with flying colours.

The 49-year-old former Hampshire champion collected the precious top 16 slot he needed to qualify for next season's European Seniors Tour.

He made it by just one shot on the last day of Final Tour School at the Pestana Resort in Portugal - a birdie at the last hole taking him into a tie for 14th place.

Mew missed out on the top eight slot he needed for unlimited entry to all European Seniors Tour events in 2003.

But he earned a conditional card - his passport into a limited number of next season's events.

Yet even that was in doubt until the very last hole.

Mew began the fourth round in a tie for 11th place knowing he couldn't afford to drop any shots, but he was soon under pressure after taking a six at the par-five fourth hole.

It dropped him to 17th, just outside the qualifying places, but he regained his composure superbly, parring his way round to the 14th, another of the par fives, which he birdied to move back up to 11th place.

But the 16th cost him his second bogey of the day and, in 16th place, Mew was again sweating on his card.

He parred the short 17th, which had cost him a shot on Thursday, then stepped on to the tee at the long 596-yard 18th hole knowing he needed a birdie to be safe.

He'd birdied the hole on each of the previous three days and all credit to the man from Chandler's Ford, he did it again and now doubles Hampshire's representation on the European Seniors (over-50) Tour where South Winchester's Peter Dawson is already an established player.

It's an extraordinary end to a season which seemed to be going all wrong for Mew.

He'd planned to go for his seniors card but when his form subsided in mid-summer and even his place in the Hampshire team was cast into doubt, he left his job and spent his days practising for the Tour School.

Yesterday it paid off handsomely for the man who grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and as a youngster played on the European and Canadian Tours.

Mew came off the professional circuit apparently because he didn't think he was good enough to make a living from golf. Now, it seems, life has begun at 50.

Matt Blackey meanwhile was on course for his first pay cheque of the season on the European PGA Tour.

The Hayling Islander comfortably made the cut for the last two days of the Hong Kong Open after shooting a 67 yesterday to move to five under for the tournament and into a tie for 21st place - four shots behind the leaders.

Blackey graduated to the main tour after finishing third on the European Challenge Tour but missed the cut in last week's Asian Open in Taiwan.