Harrington insists he is on the right track

Tour news: The vagaries of the world rankings are such that Padraig Harrington's week away from tournament play has actually resulted in a move up the listings, from 30th to 28th. Not that there is any temptation to leave the clubs in the cupboard and rely on such irregularities to ensure continued progress, as the Dubliner seeks to regain his place in the world's top-10.

Harrington returns to the US Tour for this week's Shell Houston Open, where Vijay Singh defends his title, and will also play in next week's New Orleans Classic.

Although he believes he is "only one win" away from returning to a place in the top-10, the trend this past year has been generally downward.

In fact, Harrington has not been in the top-10 since he dropped to 11th last August 21st. He finished the 2005 season ranked 17th in the world.

Up to last August, Harrington's graph had been upward: in January 2000, he was 50th; in 2001, he had improved to 20th, and the trend over the following years was to see him reach heights of eighth in 2002, seventh in 2004 and sixth in 2005 after his maiden tour win in America at the Honda Classic.

Harrington, who has played mainly in the States so far this season, intends to focus on the European Tour from next month, with three tournaments in a row, taking in the British Masters at The Belfry, the Nissan Irish Open at Carton House and the BMW Championship, formerly the PGA, at Wentworth.

It's a busy programme, but Harrington, who last won at the Barclays Classic at Westchester in June, is convinced his game is in better shape now than a year ago.

"Whether it shows up in my results in two months' time or six months' time or a year's time, I don't know. (But) I can't push the issue on that. If I look after my game, the rest will look after itself," he said.

A more dramatic slump in the rankings has come from Graeme McDowell, who is also in the field in Houston.

From 32nd in the world rankings after his runner-up finish in the Bay Hill Invitational just 13 months ago, McDowell has dropped to 88th and has failed to survive the cut in six strokeplay tournaments on the US Tour this season.

While Harrington and McDowell seek to make an impact on the US Tour, Peter Lawrie and Damien McGrane continue their globetrotting with appearances in this week's BMW Asian Open, an event sanctioned by the European Tour, the China Golf Association and the Asian Tour, in Shanghai.

David Higgins is the other Irishman in a field that also includes Colin Montgomerie, current money list leader David Howell and Luke Donald.

Meanwhile, in-form Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal, who tops the world points list in Europe's Ryder Cup qualifying table and is set for a seventh Ryder Cup appearance at the K Club, has confirmed his participation in the BMW Championship at Wentworth next month. Olazabal, who finished tied-third in the Masters and who has also pencilled in the Irish Open, returns to the remodelled West Course where he won the title in 1994.

Olazábal, who will be making his 19th appearance in the BMW Championship, said: "I recall winning the PGA five weeks after my first Masters victory. That was the icing on the cake in 1994, because if I had to choose any title outside the Majors, this is the one to win. I was relaxed and enjoying myself at Augusta, where I always feel at peace with myself, and I cannot wait to get back to Wentworth, another place where I feel at home and look forward to trying to win the BMW Championship for the second time."