A WEEK may be a long time in politics but for Darren Clarke the last seven days have been among the sweetest of his career despite his failure to win the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

THE BMW PGA Championship may be worth €750,000 to the winner, a major injection of world and Ryder Cup points and an untold degree of prestige.

NO punches will be pulled when Thomas Bjorn, chairman of the European Tour players committee, and three times major champion Pádraig Harrington meet in the Algarve prior to this week’s Portugal Masters at the Oceânico Victoria Club in Vilamoura.