GOLF: Once again, the North West of Ireland Open, which this year moves to Ballyliffin in Co Donegal, will be the jewel in the crown of the European Challenge Tour. Philip Reid reports
Although it is a so-called "dual badge" tournament (with prize money also counting for the full European Tour), the purse of €350,000 is the biggest amount on offer on the secondary circuit this year. Now in its 14th year, and a route by which players like Thomas Bjorn, Costantino Rocca and Henrik Stenson first secured full tour cards, the Challenge Tour's schedule will comprise 26 events in 15 different countries. Total prize money for the season will be approximately €4,500,000.
Philip Walton, who has been without a full card for the past two years, David Higgins, who lost his card last season, Peter Lawrie, Paddy Gribben and Gary Murphy are among the Irish players who will be playing most of their golf on this particular circuit this season. Stephen Browne, last year's European amateur champion who has since turned professional, is also expected to benefit from a number of sponsor's invitations.
The North West is scheduled to take place at Ballyliffin on August 15th-18th, which clashes with the USPGA Championship, and is one of four official European Tour events taking place in Ireland this year, along with the Murphy's Irish Open, Smurfit European Open and the American Express world championship. The Seve Trophy will also be staged at Druids Glen in April, while the AIB Irish Seniors moves to Adare Manor. The Irish Women's Open is also expected to move to the southwest, possibly to Killarney.
Meanwhile, Paul McGinley, who started out his season with a top-five finish in the Dunhill Championship last weekend, takes a week off before resuming competition in next week's Dimension Data Pro-Am on the Sunshine Tour, where Darren Clarke will be making his seasonal debut in defence of a title he won last year. Padraig Harrington is not scheduled to make his first appearance of the year until the Nissan Open in Los Angeles, the week before the Accenture World matchplay in La Costa on February 20th-24th.
The belated appearance of Clarke and Harrington on the circuit this year has resulted in both of them dropping places in the world rankings - and out of the top 10. Clarke has fallen two places to 11th and Harrington has dropped to 12th. McGinley remains in 32nd place.
Justin Rose's maiden victory on the European Tour, in the Dunhill Championship, has moved him to a career-high 106th in the world, an improvement of 53 places on his position a week ago.
WORLD RANKINGS: 1; T Woods (USA) 14.72 pts ave, 2; P Mickelson (USA) 9.99, 3; D Duval (USA) 7.39, 4; S Garcia (Spa) 6.68, 5; E Els (Rsa) 6.27, 6; D Toms (USA) 6.15, 7; D Love-III (USA) 5.58, 8; V Singh (Fij) 5.32, 9; R Goosen (Rsa) 4.98, 10; M Weir (Can) 4.81, 11; D Clarke (NIrl) 4.75, 12; P Harrington (Irl) 4.70, 13; J Furyk (USA) 4.43, 14; B Langer (Ger) 4.36, 15; C Montgomerie (Sco) 4.23, 16; S Verplank (USA) 4.21, 17; C DiMarco (USA) 4.05, 18; T Izawa (Jpn) 4.02, 19; B Estes (USA) 4.02, 20; R Allenby (Aus) 3.78, 32; P McGinley (Irl) 3.04.
