Tour news: What's the rush? In contrast to every other leading player in the world, who have well and truly shaken off the winter cobwebs by now, Padraig Harrington is very much inclined to do his own thing.

And, so, after a 12-week winter hibernation, the Dubliner finally makes his long-awaited return to competitive play in this week's Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur knowing that it starts a long campaign that will have the Ryder Cup as its high point.

As of now, Harrington, as he knows, still has some work to do if he is to earn an automatic place on Ian Woosnam's team for the match at the K Club on September 22nd-24th.

But, as a three-time member of the European team, two of them as a winner, Harrington also knows the stakes and that on-course performances between now and then will ensure that qualification should take care of itself should he play to the expected level.

With Fáilte Ireland as one of his blue-chip sponsors, Harrington also knows that wherever he goes, he'll be expected to hype up the Ryder Cup in Ireland. He is aware of the delicate balancing act.

"It'll be interesting to see how I cope during the season (ahead), how I can deflect some of the attention away from myself so that I am not getting too hyped up about the Ryder Cup when I am trying to compete in other events," he said.

"I've a lot to do to get in the team. If all I did this year was to make the Ryder Cup team, it would obviously be a disappointing year. I have got a lot more to do, full stop."

In what was an emotional year last season, with the death of his father, Paddy, Harrington's rollercoaster saw him win twice on the US Tour (in the Honda Classic, which he defends next month, and the Barclays Classic), but also miss the cut in the three majors he played in.

He was forced to miss the British Open due to his father's death.

This week's first outing of the year in Malaysia (he had toyed with the idea of playing in the Nissan Los Angeles Open on the US Tour instead), starts a stint that will take in the Accenture Matchplay in La Costa next week, followed by appearances in the Doral Open and his defence of the Honda Classic.

Given that he will spend so much of his time playing in America, it seems logical that the preferred route to Harrington securing an automatic place on the Ryder Cup team is via the World Points list, in which he is in 19th position.

"I think for the leading players in the world rankings, like myself and Darren (Clarke), who are not in the team yet, we're going to have to work hard. We're going to have to perform, but do our own thing really.

"If we play the way we can play and not think too much about the Ryder Cup, that should look after the Ryder Cup.

"We can't get involved in all the hype, that excitement (of it being in Ireland). We'd never perform and make the team if we got involved in the hype.

"We have to play our own individual tournaments one by one and not get caught up in the hype. You have to worry about yourself and what you are doing and not to worry about the bigger picture. You have to try and just keep it as micro as you can."

As things stand, Paul McGinley is the only Irish player almost guaranteed to make the Ryder Cup team.

McGinley finished tied for 12th in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am at the weekend, which was won by five strokes by Arron Oberholser.

The Dubliner will play in this week's Los Angeles Open, as will Graeme McDowell, who has missed the cut in each of the past two weeks.

However, Harrington believes the growing number of Irish players on tour suggests a new depth that should be reflected in the number that eventually makes the team in September.

"The first year I came out on tour (in 1996), I think there was 13 tour players. We are starting to get back to that . . . but we now have a number of players right at the top in the world.

"There is the potential of four of us making the Ryder Cup team, and that is not counting on a dark horse coming from the back, guys who could perform for the year and get into the team."

This week in Malaysia, Harrington will spearhead a four-strong Irish challenge that also features Michael Hoey, Gary Murphy and David Higgins.