If the Masters signifies the unofficial start of the golfing season on the PGA Tour, then the TPC at Sawgrass represents the real start of business, writes John McHenry.

The crowds will be big and the world’s top three golfers, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, headline the €4.5m tournament, but for all the prestige surrounding the BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s flagship event is very much a parochial affair.

The USPGA Tour like to call it the ‘Fifth Major’ and with a prize fund of $9.5m (€7.3m) and the presence of nine of the top 10 in the world rankings, the 39th Tournament Players Championship at Sawgrass looks like living up to expectations.

RORY McILROY and Padraig Harrington will continue their single-minded chase for major glory by doing things their own special way next season.

IRELAND'S "big three" of Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley have suffered a noticeable drop in their world rankings since the beginning of 2006.