Alex Cejka of Germany begins the Moroccan Open on Thursday, aiming to claw his way back up Europe's Ryder Cup table.

A neck strain last month and a dip in form because of it, caused him to slip from seventh to 14th in the table.

Last week he battled through pain to secure sixth place in the German Open, equalling the course record in the first round to finish 10-under-par and only four strokes from the winning total.

That hauled him two places up the table to 12th. Even with this week's meagre first prize of 93,000 dollars, Cejka can move back to seventh if he earns his fourth European Tour title.

"This week may not be a big week for money but it is compensation for us players not able to earn Ryder Cup points in the U.S. Open," said Cejka.

"I'm just getting back into the race after a pretty thin time with the injury and it's important for me to keep up the momentum now.

"There's such a long way to go, anybody can come through and earn a place, even if they are outside the top 30. But it's important to get points in the bank.

"I'm still needing treatment for the knot in my neck but it's getting better and better. And if I can shoot 10-under-par injured and equal a course record, then I have to be confident about what I can do with the pain easing," he added.

With none of the players immediately above him playing this week, Cejka's move up the table can only be threatened by the raft of European players featuring in this week's U.S. Open. All majors count for Ryder Cup points.

Another player looking to make a move is former European rankings leader David Howell. The Briton holds 14th place on the table and he is the highest-placed, at eighth, on Europe's order of merit, playing at King Hassan's pink- walled course.