Battle for Order of Merit resumes

THE battle for top spot on the European Tour order of merit resumes this week having been largely in abeyance for the past six weeks or so as the leading protagonists concentrated on the FedEx Trophy play-offs in the US followed by the Seve Trophy at the Heritage club over the weekend.

Last year’s order of merit champion Pádraig Harrington leads the way at present with a total of 2,138,078 points, a handy enough 326,483 ahead of his closest rival Justin Rose.

However, with something like €15 million on offer in prize money in forthcoming tournaments such as this week’s Dunhill Links at St Andrews, the HSBC World Championship at Wentworth, the new Portuguese Masters at Vilamoura and the season-ending Volvo Masters, among others, looming on the horizon, the potential for change is considerable.

As well as Rose, other close pursuers such as Ernie Els, Henrik Stenson, Niclas Fasth, Andres Romero and Soren Hansen will be at St Andrews. And with the top 18 in the money list having already topped the million mark, nothing but nothing has been decided as yet. Luke Donald, Trevor Immelman, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey and recently crowned British Masters champion Lee Westwood are also at St Andrews this week.

However, the man they all have to beat is defending champion Pádraig Harrington who has set himself the goal of winning an unprecedented third Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The Open champion delighted the Old Course galleries last year when he won his second Dunhill Links title — his first success came in 2002 — on the way to his first European Order of Merit crown.

It has already been a fantastic 2007 for Harrington. He loves the pro-am format of the Dunhill Links, especially because it allows him to partner his good friend JP McManus, with whom he has also won the team prize on a couple of occasions.

Along with Harrington, Ireland will be represented at St Andrews by our newest professional Rory McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke, Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie and Gary Murphy. The Dunhill is played over three of the world’s best known and most respected links courses — the Old Course at St Andrews, the championship course at Carnoustie, where, of course, Harrington won the Open and the highly regarded Kingsbarns Golf Links.

Among the amateurs involved are stars like Dennis Hopper, Samuel L Jackson, Ronan Keating, Huey Lewis, Kyle MacLachlan, Bill Murray and Tico Torres, while among the sporting celebrities are Ian Botham, Bobby Charlton, Steve Redgrave, Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit and Matthew Le Tissier, Boris Becker and Franz Klammer.

Irish positions in the European Tour Order of Merit:

1st, P Harrington (2,138,078); 50th, G McDowell (544, 059); 67th, D McGrane (378, 213); 72nd, P McGinley (345,170); 75th, Peter Lawrie (331,681); 99th, G Murphy (245,612); 133rd, D Clarke (165,198); 161st, D Higgins (134, 845); 264th, R McIlroy (15,128).