Trio bid to improve standings

Even if prize money for the Dubai World Championship is to be slashed by as much as 25% – as widely expected – three of Europe’s best-known names still want to be part of it.

And that means Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke and Jose Maria Olazabal have to make a move up the Order of Merit.

The trio start the KLM Open in Holland tomorrow in 91st, 95th and 174th places respectively and only the top 60 on the ’Race To Dubai’ money list qualify in November for the end-of-season championship.

This week, however, is a heaven-sent opportunity for them to improve their standing significantly.

Not a single member of the world’s top 50 plays after back-to-back tournaments in America and, although Montgomerie and Clarke both missed the halfway cut in the US PGA Championship, the Kennemer course in Zandvoort should suit them a lot more than Hazeltine.

Indeed, Clarke is the defending champion, his four-stroke win over Paul McGinley last year not being enough to persuade Nick Faldo to hand him one of his Ryder Cup wild cards a week later.