THIRTY European Tour members, led by Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, ranked 7th in the world, and Darren Clarke, 14th, tee off at golf’s most glamorous event this afternoon.

Ernie Els today demonstrated he was in prime form ahead of the defence of his Open title in the rain delayed Scottish Open.

ALTHOUGH the first round lead is shared by the Scot Alastair Forsyth; Philip Price and South Africa’s Retief Goosen on six under par 66, the Irish challenge for the Smurfit European Champion at The K-Club is very much alive.

DAVID DUVAL has withdrawn from next month’s Smurfit European Open at The K Club.

IAN POULTER, first and second on his last two starts, was among those who suffered worst on the toughest day of the European tour season so far.

GREG OWEN spoke yesterday about his “hard life” on the European tour — as he moved into contention for a £250,000 jackpot.

England's Greg Owen spoke today about his “hard life” on the European tour – as he moved into contention for a £250,000 jackpot.

Padraig Harrington stumbled just at the moment he had The Belfry course record back in his sights today.

THERE are still one or two lucrative season ending tournaments to be decided but the world rankings at the end of 2002 have been decided.

THE suspicion that Padraig Harrington is accident prone gained impetus at the Volvo Masters in Valderrama yesterday when he conceded two shots in bizarre fashion, seriously damaging his hopes of leading the European Tour order of merit come Sunday.

SAM TORRANCE may have nominated Monty as the team leader on the course, Sergio and Westwood may have been the fans’ darlings after two days of almost undiluted high-fiving, but more than anyone else, it was the calm and composure of Bernhard Langer that typified the steel in Europe’s successful Ryder Cup team.

Europe are just one point away from winning the Ryder Cup after Philip Price beat Phil Mickleson 3 and 2.

Ryder Cup pairings for Saturday foursomes:

THE posturing and the propaganda have abated and a year later than scheduled, the 34th Ryder Cup is all set to start today at 8am.

RYDER CUP nerves bubbled under the surface at The Belfry yesterday with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson accusing the Europeans and especially Bernhard Langer of slow play and Lee Westwood throwing a magazine article about him away in disgust.

COULD it be the European Ryder Cup team is finding form at just the right time? It’s not that any of them exactly set the course alight in the Linde German Masters at the weekend but with the exception of Paul McGinley and Philip Price, seven other members of the side performed with varying degrees of efficiency.

EUROPEAN captain Sam Torrance received a timely double boost ahead of next month’s Ryder Cup before making an early exit from the BMW International Open.

TIGER Woods believes Adam Scott, the runaway ten-shot winner of the Scottish PGA Championship on Sunday, is “a great player” who would probably be better off continuing to ply his trade on the European Tour before tackling the more competitive American circuit.

Darren Clarke justified his position as pre-tournament favourite in the early stages of the Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open today.

AN UNUSUALLY high number of Europeans, 22, will compete in the 84th US PGA Championship, the last of the season’s four majors, at Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota, beginning on August 15.

Sweden’s Pierre Fulke and Welshman Philip Price have withdrawn from the European Open at the K-Club.

Ireland’s Darren Clarke will begin the defence of his European Open title when the competition gets underway at the K-Club in Co Kildare later today.

English rookie Richard Bland set the clubhouse target on 10-under-par but Swede Niclas Fasth had the course record of 63 in his sights as he moved to 10-under with the leaders preparing to tee off for the third round of the Murphy’s Irish Open.

Former Ryder Cup players Gordon Brand Junior and David Gilford made the early running as the Murphy’s Irish Open teed off at Fota Island in Co Cork.

Defending champion Colin Montgomerie sounded an ominous warning to his rivals as he wound up his preparations for the Murphy’s Irish Open at Fota Island, where Epsom Derby winning jockey Johnny Murtagh was one of his partners in the pre-tournament pro-am.

Darren Clarke is the leading Irish challenger after a 68 in the third round of the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Des Smyth is the best placed of the Irish competitors after the second round of the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Paul McGinley is continuing his recent good run of form at the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth.