DARREN CLARKE'S move into the big-time, both financially and as a player, has come at a cost. Following his guarantee of a place on Europe's Ryder Cup team the 28-year-old Ulsterman has adjusted his schedule for the season and will now miss the Smurfit European Open at The K Club on August 21st-24th.

Instead, Clarke has decided to play in the NEC World Series, a 53.3 million invitation event at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, which clashes directly with the Straffan tournament. He qualified for the World Series - which normally has a field of just over 40 players - through his victory in last year's German Masters but only decided to take up the option after securing his Ryder Cup place.

Clarke ensured selection on Seve Ballesteros's team for the defence of the Ryder Cup at Valderrama in September with a fourth place finish in the Deutsehe Bank Open-TPC of Europe on Sunday which earned him £37,500, bringing his winnings from his last four PGA European Tour events to £144,812 and putting him third in the European table with 375,451 points.

Ironically, the European Open, which Clarke now misses, is one of a select number of tournaments on the PGA European Tour which warrants an invitation to the World Series for its winner.

Rather than being construed as a lack of loyalty to Irish golf on Clarke's part, - at a club which once backed him with sponsorship - his decision should be seen as a measure of his heightened ambitions.

Indeed, he has made no secret of his desire to compete on the US Tour and, with a 10-year exemption to the winner of the World Series (which takes place the week following the US PGA at Winged Foot), Clarke sees participation at Akron as a valuable, potentially invaluable, exercise.

"Now that he has claimed his Ryder Cup place, Darren is now in the nice position of being able to play where and when he wants to," said his manager Andrew Chandler. "But he is determined to keep setting targets for himself, among them topping the European Tour money list. Another aim is to secure a place in next year's US Masters.

Clarke is currently third in the European Order of Merit with season's earnings of £202,713. He is also aware that a top-six place in the moneylist will guarantee a place at the Masters. "I'd be surprised if Darren didn't achieve such a high finish. He has become a more consistent, more assured player, and that is reflected in his recent results," added Chandler.

A run of five tournaments in succession with such rewarding results has allowed Clarke the liberty of a rest this week and he has withdrawn from the Conipaq European Grand Prix at Slaley Hall, opting instead for a few days break in Portrush before heading off on Saturday for next week's US Open at Congressional, Bethseda.

Ireland's two other competitors in the US Open will, however, use the Slaley Hall tournament to hone their games before flying out by Concorde on Sunday night for the States. Paul McGinley, who enjoyed a welcome return to form with a top-five finish in Hamburg (a tournament won by Ross MeFarlane, son of former Ireland and Manchester United footballer Noel), and Padraig Harrington, who didn't play in Hamburg, form part of a strong Irish contingent. Rafferty, Philip Walton, Eamonn Darey, Des Smyth, Christy O'Connor Junior, Raymond Burns and David Higgins are also playing.

Annika Sorenstam, who won the LPGA Skins Game last week, enjoyed another big payday by pulling away for a three-stroke victory at the $600,000 Michelob Light Classic at Forest Hills Country Club on Sunday.

Sorenstam, who shot an even-par final round of 72, took home the 590,000 first prize for her fourth victory and ninth top-10 finish in 12 events this year.