Rested, both in body and mind, Padraig Harrington will resume tournament play in defending the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland this week, the start of a season-finishing stretch aimed at retaining his PGA European Tour order of merit title.

The 35-year-old Dubliner - who had both his coach, Bob Torrance, and physiotherapist, Dale Richardson, who provided treatment on the associated neck and knee injuries that forced him to withdraw from the Seve Trophy team, over to visit him last week - is currently €326,483 ahead of Justin Rose, his closest pursuer, in the money list.

Harrington's two-week break from tournament play was necessary as he attempts to claim back-to-back European Tour titles (a feat last achieved by Retief Goosen in 2002), while also facing into a tough end-of-year schedule that will see him defend the Dunhill Links this week, play in next week's HSBC World Match Play at Wentworth and, then, fly immediately on to the Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda.

Tiger Woods, incidentally, has pulled out of the Grand Slam, to be replaced by Jim Furyk, who finished top of a major points list.

Woods, a member of the USA team that successfully defended the Presidents Cup, intends to play only one further event this season: the Target World Challenge in December, which he is promoting.

Harrington, as British Open champion, along with US Masters champion Zach Johnson and US Open champion Angel Cabrera, are all committed to playing in Bermuda.

For Harrington, that Grand Slam will be the third event in a hectic fortnight - following on from the Dunhill and World Match Play - and he will have only a one-week break before heading to Valderrama for the Volvo Masters, the season-ending event on the 2007 European Tour.

Harrington, who intends to review his playing schedule for 2008 with a view to playing fewer events, although he is thinking of adding on the Buick Invitational on the PGA Tour as it will be played at Torrey Pines, the host venue for the US Open next year, won't be putting up his clubs after the Volvo Masters as he also intends playing in the HSBC Champions in China, defending his Phoenix Dunlop title in Japan and concluding his year's work at Woods's Target Challenge.

As things stand, Ireland's involvement in Valderrama is likely to be a very small contingent.

Only two Irish players - Harrington and Graeme McDowell - are qualified to play in the Volvo Masters, which is confined to the top-60 players on the money list.

So, this week's Dunhill Links has added importance for the likes of Damien McGrane (67th) and Paul McGinley (70th) as they attempt to secure their tickets to next month's season finale in Spain.

Darren Clarke, meanwhile, won't be at Valderrama, even if he came with a stirring late-season flourish.

The Ulsterman, currently languishing in 133rd on the moneylist, has been given permission by the European Tour to play in the Barclays Singapore Open on the Asian Tour, an event that will also attract Lee Westwood and Ernie Els at the expense of the Volvo Masters.

The Irish contingent at the Dunhill - which involves rounds over the Old Course at St Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie - features Harrington, McDowell, McGinley, Clarke, McGrane, Gary Murphy and Rory McIlroy.

Elsewhere, Colm Moriarty, who has suffered a slip in form of late, hopes that a week away from tournament play will help revigorate him for his quest to win a full tour card via the Challenge Tour when he resumes action in the Allianz Challenge in France this week.

The Athlone golfer has slipped to 30th on the Challenge Tour money list, from which the top 20 will earn full tour cards for next season.

Moriarty is joined in France by Stephen Browne, Michael McGeady and Richard Kilpatrick, who is making his professional debut.

Meanwhile, the achievement of Challenge Tour players Michael Hoey and Gareth Maybin in qualifying for next month's World Cup at Mission Hills in China means that Ireland has been spared the embarrassment of not having a team in the event. The two Ulsterman finished runner-up in the qualifying tournament in Aruba in the Caribbean, securing a place in the 24 country field.

Hoey, a winner on the Challenge Tour this season, said: "To represent Ireland in the World Cup is a dream come true. My primary concern at the moment is trying to win back my tour card for 2008 but this is an opportunity I could not turn down and we're delighted to have made it through . . . we certainly won't be going there just to make up the numbers."