Little seeks great escape

West Ham fan Sam Little believes it will be a "Great Escape" to eclipse that of the Hammers in the Premier League last season if he can keep his Tour card in the Mallorca Classic.

All looked lost for the Londoner three weeks ago when he lay outside the top 170 on the Order of Merit with only three events left to climb into the 118 and avoid an immediate return to the qualifying school.

But the 32-year-old was then joint seventh in the Madrid Open to qualify for the following week's Portugal Masters and, after finishing 34th there, now finds himself in a share of fifth place in the rain-affected Mallorca Classic.

"I'm looking at eighth or ninth place to be absolutely certain but I'll just try and win it and if I finish second then I'll take it," said Little, who kept his card by just £418 in 2005 but lost it last season and had to win it back at qualifying school.

"At least it's in my own hands and I've given myself a chance. I didn't play that well today but my putting has been really good and I managed to get it round."

l Thailand's 11-year-old prodigy Ariya Jutanugarn shot an improved second-round 74 at the Honda LPGA Thailand in Pattaya yesterday to lie 16 shots behind the leader, Suzann Pettersen of Norway.