GRAEME STORM last night turned his attentions to bigger and better things after successfully clinching the top ten finish in the Welsh Open that guarantees him a European Tour card next season.

With months to spare for the second year in a row the Hartlepool golfer - who finished tied seventh along with Yorkshireman Simon Dyson - knows the level of golf he will be competing at come next January.

And Storm, after playing the most consistent four days of his season to date at Celtic Manor, is aiming to build on his success and look to the future.

"I have said all along that I needed to find around 190,000 euros before the end of June," said Storm, who reached that marker by claiming around 46,500 euros in south Wales. "After getting to that point I can relax and challenge myself even further."

Had Storm's front nine mirrored his back nine then he could have been in contention with eventual winner Robert Karlsson, who finished seven shots ahead.

The 28-year-old failed to post a single bogey after the turn over the four days and he ended the weekend with a steady away 68 on Saturday and 67 yesterday to finish on 267, nine under par.

Storm actually finished level with Malton & Norton player Dyson, who had looked destined to finish even higher.

After Friday's outstanding 62 he was never able to repeat those heroics yet, despite yesterday's round of one over par which included two double bogeys, he still stayed in the top ten.

Dyson's seventh placing may not quite have bettered his seasonal best of fifth at the Asian Open but his earnings stand at over 350,000 euros and he sits proudly at 25th in the Order of Merit.

Winner Robert Karlsson, meanwhile, moved into contention for a Ryder Cup place after surviving a mid-round stumble to claim his sixth European Tour title.

Six clear overnight and eight ahead after three holes on Sunday, Karlsson saw his lead slashed to three shots after a run of four bogeys in nine holes.

But the 6ft 5in Swede regained his composure to birdie three of the next four and, despite dropping shots at 17 and 18, eventually signed for a closing 71 and 16-under-par total of 260.

Paul Broadhurst boosted his own chances of a second Ryder Cup appearance 15 years after his first with a birdie on the 18th to claim outright second on 13-under, with Portugal's Jose-Filipe Lima in third and Colin Montgomerie in fourth another stroke adrift.

It was Karlsson's first victory since the European Masters in 2002 and the £250,000 first prize lifted him into ninth in the cup standings.

''It was heartbreaking when it happened,'' admitted Karlsson. ''The desire to make the team drove me for a while but that's why I was thinking about giving up the game. If I start to focus too much on the outside I get frustrated.

''I'm in a privileged position to play golf for a living but I was not enjoying life on tour. I questioned whether I should keep doing it."