Hopefuls need Harrington to step up

Two weeks before they return to The Open, Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia, the two men in last year's play-off at Carnoustie, can do Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo a favour at The London Club this weekend.

The countdown to Royal Birkdale continues with the €3million European Open, which switches to Kent after 13 years at The K Club in Kildare.

It marks the first time Harrington and Garcia have played together on British soil since last July's Open, but almost inevitably there are Ryder Cup implications as well.

Garcia, despite his victory in May in the prestigious Players Championship in Florida, is in danger of dropping out of the top 10 on Europe's standings.

Harrington is already outside an automatic selection spot - and if both of them need wild cards come the end of next month then Faldo's hand could well be forced.

That, of course, is bad news for the likes of back-to-form Colin Montgomerie, the currently out-of-action Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Darren Clarke and Ian Poulter - all of whom are also outside the top 10.

For Harrington and Garcia, though, the first priority is to see signs of the form that could bring the Irishman a repeat triumph in a fortnight - he has not won since Carnoustie - or the Spaniard instant amends for last year's heart-breaking near-miss.

Four clear early in the final round, he would have lifted his first major title with a closing par after Harrington had double-bogeyed the hole, but his eight-footer failed by a fraction and he lost the play-off.

"I've always told myself the same thing at the majors," said Garcia. "I try to ask myself to play well, to give myself chances and try to win as many as possible.

"I've had my chances, so that's one goal accomplished. Now we have to try to get it to the next level and hopefully start winning majors.

"That's what we're here for and that's what we work hard for. I think all these years have really made me mature and get myself to know even better myself as a golfer and as a person and kind of control myself even better when I'm coming down the stretch.  "We'll see if we can start achieving that."

Montgomerie is this week's defending champion, but good though last week's runners-up finish in France was for his confidence - it was easily his best display of the year - retaining his title now would be on a totally different level.