THE AMERICANS mightn’t be much good as a team but, rest assured, they won’t be slow in coming forward when they tee it up this week in the WGC AmEx Championship at the splendid new Grove complex near Watford on Thursday.

ALTHOUGH he is still in 2nd position on the money list, Darren Clarke has conceded the 2003 European Tour order of merit to South Africa’s Ernie Els.

ALTHOUGH Paul McGinley is the current leader of the points table — courtesy of his second place in the last ever Lancome Trophy at the weekend — it won’t be clear who is making the early running for next year’s European Ryder Cup team for another few weeks until the end of a three week spell.