Harrington targets top three

The morning after winning the Open Championship in July Padraig Harrington told the world: “I’m in a good mood and I will be for the next week, the next year, the next 10 years.”

Human nature being what it is, the Dubliner has not, of course, worn a permanent smile on his face every day since.

However, last Sunday in Morocco he had his first victory since Carnoustie and this Sunday he could have something else to be happy about, a successful defence of the European Order of Merit title.

A look at the table with only the Volvo Masters at Valderrama to go shows Ernie Els out in front, but the South African, winner of the money list in 2003 and 2004, is in Singapore rather than Spain.

Harrington needs a top-three finish to pass him and, as well as the timely lift of pushing Darren Clarke into second place in the Hassan Trophy at the weekend, his confidence should also be boosted by the memory of last season.