Their exploits in the Ryder Cup ensured 2004 will always be remembered as a great year for Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley.

WHILE Pádraig Harrington and Paul McGinley were battling gamely to overtake the Australians at the top of the Irish Open leaderboard at Baltray yesterday, the other Irish seven qualifiers were meeting with mixed fortunes.

GRAEME McDowell’s spectacular final round of 64 that shot him up to a tie for fourth in the French Open at the weekend means that Ireland now has three players in the top ten of the European Tour order of merit.

Jesper Parnevik believes he will have to win the USPGA Championship to have any chance of qualifying automatically for the Ryder Cup.