GOLF: Philip Reid, in Valderrama for the Volvo Masters, talks to Irish Ryder Cup partners Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley about this week's test

The afterglow from The Belfry is still burning, refusing to dim. Certainly, Padraig Harrington has kept the full wattage on and, these days, it seems that a spotlight follows his every move.

For Ireland's two other Ryder Cup players, however, this week's Volvo Masters at Valderrama may not, as it does for Harrington, represent an opportunity to win an Order of Merit title - but it does offer a chance for redemption. Or, as Paul McGinley puts it, "a chance to perform a salvage operation, to take something away from the season".

In the eyes of McGinley and Darren Clarke - who is resuming competitive play after a four-week break - the Volvo Masters, with its €3 million-plus prizefund, is a tournament that can give some payback time for a season of frustration.

"Obviously, the Ryder Cup put a massive gloss on the season for me," admitted McGinley yesterday, "but there is no hiding behind the fact that the season has been disappointing. One of the reasons I am where I am in the Order of Merit (56th) is that I played 12 events in America, and haven't given the full devotion to Europe that I have in the past number of years."

Likewise, Clarke has a sense of frustration. Although his win in the English Open - back in June - prolonged his record of having won at least one event on the European Tour every year since 1998, Clarke described what has happened to him on one golf course after another as "frustrating, that's thew best way to put it".

"I've put a lot of work in and got nothing back," he explained. "Week in, week out, it has been the same. Overall this season, I'd say I have hit the ball more consistently well than I have done in the past. It's just that the putter has been stone cold all year. I'm certainly hitting the ball well enough (to win), I'm just not putting the scores on the board. Who knows? Maybe here. A couple of putts can change everything."

In the past, the Volvo Masters has been quite good to the Irish players. Clarke won it at Montecastillo in 1998 - when he also finished second in the Order of Merit for the first time - while McGinley was only edged out a year ago when Harrington rolled in a raker of a birdie putt on the last green of the tournament.

"Padraig holed the putt at the right time," conceded McGinley. "Just as I was destined to hole the putt in the Ryder Cup, he was destined to win this tournament last year. But I won't begrudge it to him."

Indeed, while McGinley, who plans to continue his salvage operation by following on from Valderrama by also playing in Hong Kong and Taiwan later this month in the opening events of the 2003 European Tour season, before teaming up with Harrington in the World Cup in Mexico, is attempting to concentrate on his own game this week, he will also have an eye on what Harrington - who trails Retief Goosen by €23,119 in the moneylist - is doing.

"I'd be surprised if Padraig didn't win it," admitted McGinley. "He's coming into form, and is very hungry to do it. I believe his performance last week in Italy - finishing with that 63 - will give him the momentum.

"But Valderrama is a very peculiar golf course. You could play well around here and still not score well. Luck does play a part this week.

"It's all about keeping the ball in play, and putting well. In my view, though, this course will suit Padraig more than it will the Goose. Retief is a formidable competitor, but the lead he has over Padraig is inconsequential given the size of money we are playing for this week. At the top end of the field, the difference is not even a fifth of a shot. Padraig won't be looking at how far he is behind. He'll be looking to finish as high up the money as he can, and that is what will determine it. It won't come down to them finishing 40th or 50th . . . . it will come down to who plays well this week. I won't say it to him, because it would put pressure on him, but I expect him to win."

Clarke, too, believes that Harrington has it in him to win. Indeed, Clarke can identify with Harrington in that he was in a somewhat similar position two years ago, only for Lee Westwood to overhaul him in the last counting event which, on that occasion, was the American Express championship, also at Valderrama, which came a week after the Volvo Masters.

"It's a big week for Padraig. I can relate to what he is going through, and how difficult it can be to focus. Retief is leading, but the amount involved is negligible and it doesn't give him a decisive advantage in any way. Of course, you'd prefer to have the advantage of being ahead, rather than behind, but the amount is so small that it will come down to who plays best this week," said Clarke, who was the first player to log in for the championship on Monday morning.

"The course is playing tougher than ever and the greens are very tricky, very fast," said Clarke, "but it is always great to get back here, especially in this weather at this time of year."

Currently 23rd in the Order of Merit, Clarke needs to win if he is to have any chance of getting into the top 10 in the moneylist, a feat which he has managed every year since 1995.