Harrington seeks extra Merit

Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson are planning to take advantage of the absence of Paul Casey and David Howell from this week's Mallorca Classic to boost their attempts to be crowned European number one.

The tournament is the penultimate counting event for the Order of Merit title but leader Casey is resting at his Arizona home while his fellow Briton Howell is trying to shake off a shoulder injury.

Dubliner Harrington, second in the money list, can overtake Casey by winning the first prize of €291,660 on Sunday.

Karlsson can also set up a thrilling four-way race for the Order of Merit crown at next week's Volvo Masters in Valderrama.

If the Swede wins in Mallorca, he would rise one place in the table to third.

Harrington declared his intention to play in Mallorca within minutes of capturing the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews earlier this month.

"It would be a big deal to win the Order of Merit," he was quoted on the European Tour's official website.

"Once you hit September, you really start thinking about the Order of Merit if you're in with a chance of it. Certainly I've been using it as a motivation since the Ryder Cup to get focused and to get out on the golf course and push on."

Harrington said the money-list title was second only in importance to the four majors.

"At the end of your career you're going to be judged on how many tournament wins you have, then how many majors," he said.

"After that you're going to be judged on whether you won the Order of Merit and maybe your world ranking. I would definitely like to have an order of merit on my CV."

Harrington is one of five members of Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team in action this week. The others are Paul McGinley, Karlsson and the Spanish pair Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal.

Last year Olazabal extended the Spanish dominance of the Mallorca Classic. The tournament was won in its inaugural year of 2003 by Miguel Angel Jimenez and 12 months later by Garcia.

However, Colin Montgomerie, eight times a winner of the Order of Merit title, believes history is against Harrington overhauling Casey.

"The winner of the Order of Merit will be the leader right now," said the 43-year-old Scot.

"Out of my eight Order of Merits seven have happened when I've been leading going into Valderrama. There was only one where I was behind Sam Torrance and then I managed to pull it right out of the bag at the end.

"It is difficult to come from behind in golf and to try to push. The more you push the worse it is. I would put a lot of money on Paul Casey being ahead and staying there.

"It's very difficult for Harrington or Howell to come back and to win at Valderrama. Paul Casey has great potential and great length.

"There's no golf course in the world getting shorter any more. The greatest asset in golf these days is length. It has become a power game and he has all the power necessary to compete. He just needs to control what goes on inside his head."

Karlsson is more than €447,254 behind Casey and will need two great performances to stand a realistic chance.

At the other end of the money list, this week is the last chance for players to secure a place in the top 115 and keep their card for next season. Scotland's David Drysdale currently occupies 115th place, less than €2,981 ahead of Yorkshire's Ian Garbutt.