Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood are urging European Ryder Cup fans not to press the panic button with the match in Boston only three weeks away. The two stablemates, likely to be key players in the eagerly-awaited showdown with the United States, were part of a dismal showing by Mark James' team in last week's World Championship event in Ohio.

But, now on `home' soil again for the European Masters starting in Switzerland tomorrow, Clarke and Westwood are not prepared to give Tiger Woods and company the trophy just yet.

Clarke said: "I don't think you can read anything into last week at all. That was strokeplay and the Ryder Cup is matchplay. They are completely different games and what happened last week is completely irrelevant."

"The Americans are all right when they are playing for themselves," said world number five Westwood. "When you get the European team spirit going it will be a different kettle of fish."

With Miguel Angel Jimenez the only other cup man taking part this week, Westwood and Clarke have a golden opportunity to give their confidence a timely boost.

Despite the £1 million first prize at each of the three World Championship tournaments introduced this season, they have yet to catch alight. And according to the two stars, they are already in need of a rethink.

The next is at Valderrama on November 4th-7th, straight after the Volvo Masters at nearby Montecastillo, and Westwood describes that as "a terrible date".

The 25-year-old from Worksop said: "It will devalue the Volvo Masters. You can be £300,000 or £400,000 behind, win the World Championship event and win the Order of Merit".

Also in this week's field are Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros, both of whom have had to forget the Ryder Cup and focus instead on resurrecting their careers.

Ballesteros' nephew Raul, still an amateur, is competing as well, as is Surrey teenager Zane Scotland, who in July became one of the youngest players ever to qualify for the Open.