Scottish golfer Gary Orr had a weight lifted off his shoulders after a closing 69 at the Spanish Open in Seville.
Orr was never in contention for the title, but his five-under-par total meant he was no longer in danger of losing his European Tour card in the coming weeks.
Recurring back problems led to the 40-year-old former British Masters champion being given a medical extension for the start of this season.
Orr was given nine events in which to earn just under Ј26,000, the amount that would have kept his card last year if he had been able to play a full schedule.
He has achieved the mark in just five, though, and said: "Relief is the word.
"I wanted to get it out of the way because it just hangs in the back of your mind and you never know what's going happen.
"It's been tough, but physically I feel good at the moment. I was fortunate I didn't need surgery because the problem was on the outside of the disc rather than on the inside affecting nerves.
"The last thing you want is anybody digging away around your spine."
CLARKE SPURRED ON BY BAD PRESS
