Olazabal on the up

The chances of Jose Maria Olazabal ever playing the Ryder Cup again did not look good last summer when he failed to qualify for the British Open and fell to 163rd in the world.

But going into the Nissan Irish Open at Carton House today, Olazabal is a golfer on the up again – and no European fan would mind seeing it continue all the way to next September’s match at the nearby K Club.