English Open defending champion Darren Clarke goes into Thursday's start at the Forest of Arden course on the back of a poor finish in the previous tournament, the British Masters.
The Irishman, number two in Europe last year, is off form with three of the big-money events already behind him. His 74 to round off the week at Woburn left him languishing in joint 42nd place.
Clarke, 32, has been making costly mistakes on final days and his two double bogeys on Sunday were the main reason for his poor placing.
"I'm happy with 90 per cent of my game," said Clarke, currently only 37th in the order of merit. "It's the short game which is letting me down badly at the moment and it's what I have to work on most this week before defending my title.
"The chipping and pitching are causing me bogeys and sometimes double bogeys where I should be saving pars and taking advantage of birdies."
Both Europe's top men last year are going through difficult spells and finding scant success with just the English Open between them and taking on Southern Hills, Tulsa, in the U.S. Open.
Lee Westwood, the top-ranked player in 2000, thought his game was getting back into shape when he had his best round of the year, a 67 on Saturday, to give him hope of coming through the field to challenge at Woburn.
But his erratic 74, which ended with a double bogey on Sunday, dropped him down to eighth place and he is floundering in 98th spot in this year's rankings.
Westwood is willing to take the knocks, he has said, because he is in the throes of swing changes that he hopes will win him a major but the U.S. Open might be out of reach while he makes the transition.
European Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance said on Saturday that he was not worried about the form of Westwood, Clarke or Colin Montgomerie.
But Montgomerie's closing 72 at Woburn left him only joint 27th on a course he liked and the former seven-times number one in Europe lies only 35th in the rankings.
He has dropped out of the automatic top 10 places on the Ryder Cup table, relegated to 12th by dint of Swedes Robert Karlsson and Mathias Gronberg tying for second place at Woburn.
Forest of Arden is a course which also suits Montgomerie and where he has found success, so the deposed European number one will expect to ease any Ryder Cup fears this week.
Sunday's surprise winner Thomas Levet is already talking about playing in America again. He has owned a U.S. Tour card in the past and he wants to try for another now he can relax over his European card and concentrate on America after winning the four-man playoff at Woburn.
"My first win in 1998 saved my career and now this one will bump it up," the Frenchman said.
"I have plans to go to the States at the end of the year. With this win I get a two-year exemption so next year I can do double schedules here and in the States if I make the card over there.
"I couldn't do that the last time I played in America and because of not playing in Europe I lost both cards."