GOLF: Paul McGinley's original plans to spend virtually all of the spring playing in the US may have been torn up and thrown into the rubbish bin, but, in a case of better late than never, an invitation to play in next week's Nissan Open in Los Angeles means that the Dubliner - who yesterday moved up to a career-high 30th position in the world rankings - will still get to spend a considerable length of time competing in America before making his US Masters debut in April.
"I was upset initially, and particularly disappointed at not getting into the Buick Invitational (this week) in San Diego, where I went to college, but things have probably worked out better for me," said McGinley, who now faces just one long-haul flight to the West Coast for a two-week stint that will also take in the following week's Accenture World Matchplay at La Costa.
McGinley will then fly to the East Coast where he will take in the Honda Classic (the invitation was confirmed yesterday), the Bay Hill Invitational and the Players' Championship, before returning home (with a week's break in Donegal pencilled in) prior to heading back to the US for the Masters.
McGinley says he was surprised when the invitations to the early-season events in the US failed to materialise.
"I had all my plans made and, just three days before I was due to travel out, I discovered what had happened . . . It is strange, because I didn't get into the event in San Diego but have got an invite into Los Angeles, which is a much bigger tournament," he said.
McGinley took himself off to South Africa instead and, in hindsight, feels that has been a better way to prepare for the important weeks ahead.
"The way my schedule has now worked out I will be playing five out of six weeks on the US Tour - and that is something I have never done before and it excites me. It means I will miss out on Dubai, and that is a pity, but it is still a very exciting stage in my career."
The Irishman's move up the world rankings inside the past 12 months has been impressive. "I was 76th this time last year, so it is a huge improvement to where I am at now, to be in 30th.
"From now on, though, the rate of progress will be slower and I am aware of that. And yet, having said that, by playing in America, I will be playing for more points.
"Also, I haven't tended to play too frequently on the European Tour at this time of the year because I don't travel to Australia."
The implication being, obviously, that he has 29th-ranked Tom Lehman firmly in his sights.
While Padraig Harrington - now back into the world's top 10 in 10th place - is the highest ranked player in the world yet to play a tournament so far this season (and he doesn't plan to reappear until the World Matchplay in just over a fortnight), Darren Clarke's next appearance - like McGinley's - will come a week earlier in Los Angeles.
Clarke made his seasonal debut in the Dimension Data Pro-Am in Sun City last week. Despite suffering from flu-like symptoms that saw him retreat to his bedroom after each of the first three rounds, Clarke managed to finish in eighth place.
However, he lost the world ranking points that victory in the tournament brought him last year and has dropped down to 13th.
The Dungannon man's itinerary in the run-up to the Masters will see him return from California for a week off before playing in the Dubai Desert Classic, the Qatar Open and then on to the Players' Championship and the Houston Open.
He then intends to take a week's break in the US before heading to Augusta. where he has a best finish of tied-eighth in 1998.
Of course, Ireland's big three will be returning home immediately after Augusta for the Seve Trophy, when they will join their Britain and Ireland team-mates, captained by Colin Montgomerie, to take on Seve Ballesteros' Continental Europe side at Druids Glen, Co Wicklow, the following week.
There are no Irish players in this week's tri-sanctioned tournament in Sydney - which is under threat because of bad weather - but Stephen Browne, David Higgins, Peter Lawrie, Ciaran McMonagle and Paddy Gribben are attempting to secure places in the field for the Nashua Masters at the Wild Coast Club on the KawZulu-Natal coast this week.
Meanwhile, Justin Rose, who won his first tour title - the Dunhill Championship - last month, has decided to play in the final two counting events on the Sunshine Tour in an effort to overtake Tim Clark at the top of the South African order of merit.
The prize for the winner of the money list is a place in the field for the American Express world championship at Mount Juliet in September. Retief Goosen, however, is not interested in chasing that particular Order of Merit.
The world number seven, with back-to-back wins in Australia and South Africa from the past two weeks, has decided to return home to London for a rest.
Team qualifying tables
BRITAIN AND IRELAND
1, D Clarke (Ire) 1,922,706.
2, P Harrington (Ire) 1,734,172 .
3, C Montgomerie (Scot) 1,503,734. 4, P McGinley (Ire) 1,395,170.
5, P Lawrie (Scot) 1,292,091.
6, D Howell (Eng) 865,994.
7, P Casey (Eng) 760,692.
8, I Woosnam (Wal) 747,262
9, S Webster (Eng) 733,917.
10, A Oldcorn (Scot) 689,841.
11, P Price (Wal) 678,071.
12, B Lane (Eng) 559,690.
13, A Coltart (Scot) 552,672.
14, G Owen (Eng) 536,722.
15, W Bennett (Eng) 536,044.
CONTINENTAL EUROPE
1, B Langer (Ger) 1,344,336.
2, N Fasth (Swe) 1,201,793.
3, T Bjorn (Den) 1,103,046.
4, T Levet (Fr) 787,004.
5, M Gronberg (Swe) 768,888.
6, J-M Olazabal (Sp) 746,005.
7, R Karlsson (Swe) 724,833.
8, M-A Jimenez (Sp) 696,758.
9, R Jacquelin (Fr) 669,660.
10, S Garcia (Sp) 659,359.
11, F Jacobsen (Swe) 483,136.
12, J Sandelin (Swe) 470,499.
13, S Hansen (Den) 459,121.
14, H Stenson (Swe) 427,533.
15, S Kjeldsen (Den) 406,535.
Qualification ends after Canaries Open on March 31st. The top eight players in each qualifying table plus captain and one captain's pick will comprise the 10-man teams.
