One OF the world's great golfing tests will have something of a coming of age this weekend when, at its new length of 7,006 yards, the West Course plays host to the £1.2 million Volvo PGA Championship. It is also a notable occasion for two Irishmen, in that Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington are together again for the first time since the World Cup.
"In fact we have never been drawn together before in a regular tournament," said McGinley, who had a notable debut here in 1992. Invited on that occasion as the reiging European under-25 champion, he gained the distinction of covering the fourth (501 yards) and fifth (191) holes in 3-1 - holing a four iron in both instances.
A total of 11 Irish challengers, including Benson and Hedges International winner Darren Clarke, are in a strong field. Even with Ernie Els in the line-up, however, the absence of an American challenger is particularly marked in view of the impending appearance of Mark O'Meara and Davis Love in next week's Deutsche Bank Open in Hamburg.
The Irish entries are: Clarke, Ronan Rafferty, McGinley, Harrington, Philip Walton, Raymond Burns, Eamonn Darcy, Des Smyth, Paul Russell, Damien McGrane and Stephen Hamill. Last year's champion, Ian Woosnam, will be attempting to retain the trophy and win an increased top prize of £200,000. Clarke faces an interesting challenge in trying to win on successive weeks in Europe for the first time since Bernhard Langer captured the Italian Open and the Benson and Hedges in May of last year. One also recalls Tony Johnstone's victory here in 1992 and how close he came to another success the following week, when he lost to Christy O'Connor Jnr in a play-off for the Dunhill Masters.
"I'm looking forward to getting back out there in the morning," said Clarke, whose new-found status is reflected in a draw with Woosnam and Langer. "But before then, I will be reading 15 or 20 pages of Bob Rotella's book."
The book in question is Golf is Not a Game of Perfects, by the leading American sports psychologist. It brought about a dramatic change in Clarke's attitude during the US Masters last month and he also used it to splendid effect at The Oxfordshire last weekend.
Clarke likes the changes to the course, which involve an additional 49 yards to its overall length and the deepening of the three fairway bunkers at the 18th. There is a new back tee at the 11th, lengthening the hole by 22 yards to 398, and a new bunker on the right side of the fairway tightens the driving area appreciably.
The opposite is the case at the long 12th which has been lengthened by 27 yards to 510 through the construction of a new, championship tee. "Though we're now going in with a wood instead of a long iron, I think it's easier," said Harrington. "The extra length means a wider hitting area off the tee."
By his own high standards, Harrington has struggled this season. Earlier this week he was working with John Jacobs and his own coach Howard Bennett on trying to eliminating a destructive tilting in his swing, both on the backswing and follow-through.
"I want to turn rather than tilt and the solution is to practise with a ball above your feet," he said. Meanwhile, he has the considerable incentive of knowing that the £75,000 for a third-place finish next Sunday would make him a tour millionaire, given his current standing of £925,116.
Still, McGinley was more upbeat about his prospects, encouraged by a final round of 68 for 24th place at The Oxfordshire last Sunday. "My record here isn't great but I've a feeling things are going to change this week," he said. "I like my chances."
On paper, Els would appear to be favourite, given his status as current world number one. And in a glowing assessment of him bordering on sychophancy, Colin Montgomerie claimed that: "In world terms I've got three players to beat - Ernie, Tiger Woods and Davis Love."
They happen to be drawn together today and the Scot was, no doubt, gently alluding to his victory over Els in the final of the Andersen Consulting World Championship earlier this year. But Els responded bluntly: "If he beats me and I finish 50th, it's not going to help him very much."
Yet the South African put on an admirably bright front, considering his problems this week. While fighting jet-lag after playing in the Byron Nelson Classic in Texas last weekend, he has been receiving regular bulletin's from his girlfriend Liezl about a break-in in their South Africa home.
"She flew down (to South Africa) from here on Tuesday evening and I spoke to her," he said. "They stole things off the wall, cups, the sort of thing that you can't really replace. They got into my car (Range Rover) and smashed it. I need a new car."
The question now is whether these factors can combine to militate against yet another strong showing by the South African at a venue where he has won three World Matchplay Championships, quite apart from a share of second place behind Woosnam here last year. It has the makings of an interesting weekend.
