LAURIE Canter endured a tough day on his return to European Tour action in Spain today, but there was better news for Cumberwell Park clubmate Steve Surry in Zimbabwe.

Canter, playing his first full season on the European Tour after coming through the qualifying school finals last November, was playing in his first Tour event since the middle of February at the Open De Espana at Valderrama.

But the 26 year old endured a day to forget in Andalucia as he carded a 10 over par 81 to slump to joined third-last in the 144-man field.

Canter dropped five shots on his front nine, having started on the 10th, picking up a solitary birdie on the 16th as he went to the turn in 40.

A further seven strokes went on his back nine, including back to back double bogeys on the sixth and seventh, although he didn manage to birdie the second as he returned home in 41.

While Canter toiled though, below the equator Surry was putting himself well in contention in the Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open at Royal Harare Golf Club.

Starting on the 10th, Surry bogeyed his opening hole, but immediately repaired the damage with back to back birdies and went to the turn in 35.

A bogey at the fifth appeared likely to stall his progress but Surry instead reeled off successive birdies at the sixth, seventh and eighth to come home in 34 and post a three under par total, leaving him tied ninth and just four shots adrift of first-round leaders Louis de Jager and Mark Murless, both from South Africa.