Laid-back Gary Murphy kept his dream on a big Open payday alive and roared- Show me the money.

The fun loving Kilkenny man has his eye on a massive payday if he can keep it going over the weekend

Despite having to get up at 4.15 for his 6.30 am start, the 30 year old got to within three of the lead early on.

But dropped four shots in three holes from the 14th left him with a bad taste in his mouth and he had to settle for a three over par 74.

Now at just five over for the Championship he’s still in with a great chance of grabbing a fistful of cash and qualifying for November’s €2.88 million Volvo Masters.

The top 60 in the Order of Merit qualify for Valderrama and at 49th in the list, Murphy has his eye on a lucrative place in that exclusive field.

He said: “Now that I have made sure of keeping my card I have set my goal of getting into the Volvo Masters.

“But I’m a bit dejected with 74 because I was two under for the round had a good chance to break par out here, which is a feat in itself.

“Making the cut was one of my primary goals coming in here. But when you are in a position to do well and you drop four shots it is disappointing. In a Junior Scratch Cup it is disappointing, never mind a British Open.”

Watched by his parents JD and Anne and his fiancée Elaine Kelly, Murphy was cruising early in his round after picking up birdies at the par five fourth and the tricky fifth

He still looked in control despite a bogey at the ninth where he overshot the green and failed to chip close.

The he made a great up and down to save par at the tenth after getting a free drop when his approach finished underneath a grandstand.

But his luck finally ran out at the signature 14th where he carded a double bogey seven.

In rough off the tee, he slashed his lay-up into a deep fairway bunker and had no option but to splash out sideways.

Then, after punching a short iron to 30 feet, he raced his first putt five feet past the hole and took two more putts to get down.

Another shot went at the 475 yard 15th where he missed the fairway on the right.

After hacking his ball as far as the swale on the right hand side of the green, he had to come in over a steep bank an try to dribble the ball down to the hole.

But his approach putt pulled up 15 feet short of the target and he failed to save par.

Then he bunkered his five iron tee shot at the par three 16th where the hole was cut tight to the right hand side.

With a steep slope and just three yards of green to work with he had almost no chance of getting it close.

Murphy did well to get the ball to within 12 feet of the hole but again failed to save his par.

He said: “I hit a bad shot there and I got a bit lazy on it. I probably had the right club with a five iron, trying to cut it in but hit it in the trap.

“I had chances to make birdie at he 17th and 18th. At the last I hit a great two iron to 30 feet but the putts didn’t drop for me today.

“But it’s great to make the cut. It will be a great buzz and hopefully the grandstands will be fuller.”

Murphy admits that he is a more confident and relaxed player than the man who lost his card three years ago despite some great ball striking.

Now he has his sight set on establishing himself in the top 50 in Europe and taking it from there.

He confessed: “I’m far more relaxed now. But I have always had the game. I just think I am a little more relaxed and enjoying it more than I used to.

“Once you are here at the Open you are here to compete. I am not here to make up the numbers.”

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© Brian Keogh 2003

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