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Little and Finch celebrate their success in Mallorca

I have never, ever in all my life been more nervous than standing over that four-footer. I thought my head was going to explode.

Mark Roe
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Sam Little and Richard Finch put in heroic performances last weekend in Mallorca. In terms of playing under pressure, that was as good as it gets, and both of them deserve to retain their tour privileges.

Three weeks ago Little was 170th in the Order of Merit going into the last three events. He finished 7th in Madrid, 34th at the Portugal Masters and then second last week in Mallorca to keep his Tour card for 2008.

It is the stuff that dreams are made of for a guy who is trying to survive and keep his life and livelihood together. I cannot praise him enough. He had been struggling all year and then found something extra special against the run of play to keep his card.

Equally so, Finch deserves the same praise. I have an extra special interest in him because I started working with him on his short game at the Belfry for the British Masters. I spoke to him when he returned from Mallorca on Monday morning and he was delighted with his result, and also about how his short game and bunker play had come on - which makes the story all the more pleasing for me.

I am very proud of Finch for coming through last week's test because he knew what he had to do - finish 17th or better - and he wound up 7th. Over the last six holes he went bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie, double bogey, birdie, so he endured the whole rollercoaster ride of emotions of the final round of the final event, but he came out on top.

As great as both of their stories are though, they beg the question, what on earth were they doing for the rest of the year? It is clearly something that focuses the mind to a greater degree and the leading sports psychologists on tour, Jos Vanstiphout or Jamil Qureshi, would be able to apply some logic to it.

For me it is about some players having the ability to focus the mind when the chips are down. Under the most intense pressure, these guys have come up with some of their best golf. They were world class performances under pressure.

And I am speaking from experience of this situation because in 2001 I went into the last tournament of the year, the Italian Open, needing to finish third or better to keep my card. The situation was slightly different in that I had been coming back from a year and half off with injury and I was still trying to find my game but the pressure was the same.

I had been improving all the way through the back end of the season, shooting a couple of 66s at the Lancome Trophy to lead with Sergio Garcia but failed to finish the job at the weekend, and so quite simply I knew exactly what I needed to do in Italy.

I shot a 63 to lead the tournament and stayed up there in the top five with a 69 on Friday. I thought I had completely blown it with a 73 on the Saturday but on the last day I started to get it going again with some birdies. I was five-under for that round with two holes to play and, glancing over at the leaderboard, realised that by my reckoning a birdie-par finish would suffice.

I made birdie at 17 hitting it to about three feet and made it on to the last green in two on the 18th. My birdie putt came up about four feet short and honestly, I have never, ever in all my life been more nervous than standing over that four-footer.

The only thing I could think to do was return to my routine, take a couple of deep breaths, stand over it and make as good a stroke as I could. I have no recollection of the putt. All I remember is thinking, 'why is my heart beat pounding in the top of my head?' I felt like my head was going to explode.

I hit the putt and I don't even remember holing it, not until I saw it later on the highlights. It worked out for me that time as it did for Finchy and Sam Little this week. I know what they went through, so I take my hat off to both of them.

If last week was about those guys trying to keep their card, this week it is all about the other end of the scale and the guys trying to win the Order of Merit at the Volvo Masters in Valderrama.

There are five players who can take Europe's crown this weekend with Padraig Harrington, Justin Rose, Niclas Fasth and Henrik Stenson all trying to overhaul Ernie Els at the top of the pile, although the great South African will not be in Spain but Singapore.

A note on that first. It is a shame for the Volvo Masters, the Tour and the credibility of the Order of Merit that Ernie will not be at Valderrama and is playing somewhere else just for appearance money.

I don't blame Ernie Els for that; he didn't know that he would end up in this situation. He signed his contract with the Singapore Open a long time ago - this is the third of a three-year agreement - and being the gentleman that he is, he will always honour his commitment.

A lot of people will say it is about money, but I would defend Ernie in that respect and say this has nothing do with money, only honour. He would not let someone down having committed to them. This is a Catch 22 situation for Els, because wherever he goes, he would upset someone.

Had he not signed that contract, he would be in Spain not chasing the dollar of any variety, but he made an agreement and he is honouring it. He is getting a lot of criticism but I would credit him because it must be tempting to go to Spain.

The situation isn't ideal and I only hope, as I am sure Ernie does too, that we don't find ourselves in a situation again where two big tournaments are being played on the same weekend - especially one that involves the climax of the European season.

There are a lot of permutations out in Spain at the Volvo. Stenson and Fasth can do it providing Harrington and Rose don't have great weeks. Harrington needs a top three to win it and he is more than capable of doing it, as is Rose.

But often these events are like a firework that doesn't go off... lots of expectation but no bang. You might find that even though Ernie isn't there, he will stay on top. As I said on Golf Night last week, that is where my money would be, but we will have to wait and see this weekend.