McGrane gunning for Volvo position

DAMIEN MCGRANE sprung something of a shock when quitting his job at Wexford Golf Club to concentrate full time on the European Tour.

He had always indicated how happy he was in the south-east and especially at the Wexford club where he employed two assistants.

However, McGrane has fully justified the move and now stands 62nd in the European Tour order of merit with the handsome total of €379,181 and within 2,066 points of the 60th spot that would earn him a place in next Thursday week’s lucrative season ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

The 34-year-old from Kells, 5’ 8” and 11st 6lbs, hasn’t made it to the Volvo before and regards it as a stepping stone in his career. He would be a lot closer but for dropping four shots on the back nine in Madrid on Sunday, leaving him with a share of 34th place and a prize for €6,900.

But he is intent on putting the record straight over the Pula course in this week’s Majorcan Open, an event with a humble enough prize fund of €1.5 million. However, a relatively small return could be enough to clear the way for far greater things a week later at Valderrama. The leading 60 players in the money list after Majorca qualify for the Volvo Masters and McGrane is currently 2,066 points behind 60th placed Brian Davis of England.

Davis is taking a chance by not playing in Majorca, leaving himself open to attack from McGrane and several others.

McGrane is one of our Irishmen competing in Majorca, the others being Graeme McDowell and Peter Lawrie, already assured of their places in the Volvo Masters, and Gary Murphy, who needs to win this week to crash the top 60. The Heritage tournament professional is currently 78th on the money list with €271,955.

As of now, Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, McDowell and Lawrie have qualified for Valderrama, where the purse is 4 million and the prestige of victory worth its weight in gold. McGinley ruefully accepts that he has never done well over the great course on the Costa del Golf and while Harrington is a former champion, that success was achieved at Montecastillo near Jerez.

McGinley will have benefited from a two-week rest after a particularly hectic period, while Harrington also takes a break after a couple of moderate weeks in the United States. He shot solid rounds of 69, 67, 72 and 69 for a share of 39th (worth $15,200) in the Michelin Championship that ended in Las Vegas on Sunday, yet he finished ten shots behind Wes Short Jr, who defeated Jim Furyk in a play-off.

Padraig has fallen to 14th in the world rankings, having been 6th in June. Thanks largely to his victories in the Honda and Buick Classics earlier in the campaign, he is 12th in the US money list with $2,406,106 and his next appearance over there will be in the Tour Championship at East Lake, Atlanta, in two weeks time.

Irish European Tour order of merit placings: 6th Paul McGinley €1,629,762; 18th Darren Clarke €955,330; 32nd Padraig Harrington €599,515; 34th Graeme McDowell €545,089; 53rd Peter Lawrie €433,205; 62nd Damien McGrane €379,181; 78th Gary Murphy €271,955.

Irish world rankings: 14th, Harrington; 18th Clarke; 27th McGinley; 49th McDowell.

European Ryder Cup order of merit, Irish: 5th McGinley; 15th Harrington; 17th McDowell; 20th Clarke.

World Ranking order of merit, 7th McGinley; 21st McDowell; 22nd Clarke; 23rd Harrington.