Tired McGinley still has a goal

European Tour: Paul McGinley is the latest of Europe's Ryder Cup heroes to feel the effects of their record-equalling triumph.

McGinley will compete in this week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland despite suffering from a bad case of the flu which curtailed his K Club celebrations.

"I was in bed for four days after the Ryder Cup," explained McGinley, who sportingly conceded a half to JJ Henry in the singles as Ian Woosnam's side cruised to an historic, third straight victory.

"It seems like all our systems are run down as quite a few of us have been sick since, but I'm all right and need to try to salvage something from the end of the season and move up the Order of Merit (he currently lies 68th).

"It was disappointing not to play at The Grove last week but I have no excuses. I've had a poor season and fell out of the world's top 50 so didn't qualify."

Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia are the only members of the team not playing at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, where the focus will be on the battle to win the Order of Merit.

Paul Casey has an £80,000 lead over Ryder Cup team-mate David Howell with three events remaining, but fellow team members Robert Karlsson (third), Henrik Stenson (fourth), Padraig Harrington (fifth) and Colin Montgomerie (seventh) are among those still in with a chance of topping the standings. The first prize this week is €630,000.

Howell is again struggling with a shoulder injury, while Casey finished 56th out of 62 last week and admitted his winning effort in the World Matchplay at Wentworth and the Ryder Cup had taken its toll.

"I was toast, I'd run out of energy and had nothing to give last week," the world number 17 admitted.

Lee Westwood was also struck down with a recurrence of tonsillitis on the final day at The K Club, while Stenson admits he has been worn out talking about holing the winning putt.

"It has been pretty hectic, holing the winning putt has meant a lot more interviews," said the Swede.

"The Ryder Cup was a tiring week. There was a lot going on in the run-up and then there's the tension; you take a lot out of yourself when you are playing.

"Last week I was a bit tired and I've not done much running up to this event.

"I've not made that much of a deal about the putt because we would have won with or without it, but I guess it's a nice little bonus that it will run on TV a few hundred times."

As for his chances of winning the money list, Stenson added: "If I want to have a sniff at winning it then I need to have a really good week.

"I've done well here in the past, with one third and one sixth place, so I'm hoping to come up with something similar."

The injury-prone Howell admitted only the prospect of winning the Order of Merit had persuaded him to play this week.

Howell is suffering from the recurrence of a shoulder injury which last flared up in the final round of the US PGA championship at Medinah, where he slumped to a closing round of 82.

The 31-year-old trails Casey by €120,000 in the money list, but with this week's first prize and a similar cheque on offer at the season-ending Volvo Masters, the race is still wide open.

However, Howell, who missed 10 weeks of last season with a torn stomach muscle and had a month off this year with back trouble, confesses he is "fighting a bit of a losing battle".

Howell, who carded a final round 73 in the American Express World Championship at The Grove, explained: "It's the same problem I've had for a while and it came back on Sunday with a bit of a vengeance and I haven't hit a shot since.

"I had a company day on Monday that I had to pull out of, and if it wasn't for the Order of Merit it's fair to say I would not be playing.

"I certainly feel for a few weeks now I've been trying to play when possibly I shouldn't have been to win the Order of Merit.

"I'll be hitting the minimum number of shots before playing and just trying to get it round in as few shots as possible.

"My body has let me down in the last couple of months. Some guys can't putt, I have a body that breaks down.

"It's very frustrating and stressful, especially when you see guys who never do any (fitness) work and never miss a day's golf.

"I don't know how long I'll be able to keep going. It's just a constant battle that I've got.

"I do all I can to stay fit and healthy and as long as I'm doing that I just have to accept that if I break down, I break down and there's nothing much I can do really."

Following victory in the HSBC Champions tournament - where he held off Tiger Woods in the final round - in November last year, Howell led the money list right up until Casey won the World Matchplay.

And the modest world number 13 admits it would be disappointing to be pipped at the post.

"Being number one all year it would be disappointing not to finish it off," he added. "If I don't win it would still be a great year but tinged with disappointment.

"It would be a fantastic achievement. When I came on tour Colin Montgomerie was winning it every year hands down and it was almost inconceivable that anyone else would win it.

"It's something I never really thought I would achieve. My mind has struggled to keep up with my game and sometimes I still pinch myself.

"The next step is to think like the 13th best golfer in the world rather than 150th."

Asked if he had given Howell a hearty slap on the shoulder, Casey joked, "I wish I'd known he was injured before," but added: "I certainly don't wish David ill at all.

"He's played great golf this year and won the two biggest events on the European Tour rather than majors or world golf events.

"I feel very lucky to be on top of the heap. David has been injured a lot of the year and if he had been healthy he could have been so far ahead.

"It would be wonderful to win the Order of Merit but there is a lot of golf to be played and a lot of great golfers snapping at my heels.

"It would be very very special and I'd dearly love it to happen but I can't control what the others do.

"Hopefully this week my energy levels should be okay," he added. "Although these can be long days, with six-hour rounds, at least it's still just 18 holes."

Many of the top names competing in this week's event, which features a pro-am format over three courses, play their first rounds at Kingsbarns today.

As expected, Darren Clarke is partnered with Westwood, while Harrington plays with Miguel Angel Jimenez and McGinley plays with Howell.

Further rounds take place at St Andrews and Carnoustie.

Graeme McDowell will play Carnoustie today.

The final round is staged over the Old Course at St Andrews on Sunday.