Allenby is just happy to be back in play

FROM splendid past lives as a stately home and a girls' boarding school run by nuns, Hanbury Manor takes its place today as a premier European Tour venue. It stages the £650,000 Alamo English Open in which the defending champion, Robert Allenby, faces a continuing battle against the effects of injuries sustained in a car crash last September.

"I'm not 100 per cent," admitted the 25 year old Australian, who will play the opening two rounds in the company of Darren Clarke and the recent Cannes Open winner, Stuart Cage. "My right shoulder is aching, but I'm working hard in the gym every day," Allenby added, by way of explaining a missed cut at The Oxfordshire last weekend.

In sharp contrast, Padraig Harrington talked yesterday of feeling "brilliant - absolutely fantastic". No doubt his mood had much to do with a splendid fourth place finish in the Benson and Hedges International. Yet he still thought it prudent to consult a doctor.

This particular practitioner, however, happened to be the venerable John Jacobs, known on the circuit as Dr Golf for his legendary skills as a teacher. After they had spent a short while together, the Dubliner rifled three, beautifully executed five iron shots down the practice ground.

"That's it excellent," enthused Jacobs, who picked out Harrington as a player of considerable, potential when working with him during the Apollo training week in Spain at the beginning of last year. Said the player: "He helped me sort out a few problems with my set up. Fortunately, his thinks the same as my regular coach, Howard Bennett."

All 10 leading Irishmen are in action this week: Harrington, Clarke. Paul McGinley, Philip Walton, Ronan Rafferty, Raymond Burns, Des Smyth, Eamonn Darcy, Christy O'Connor Jnr and David Higgins. And all appeared to be physically well with the exception of Walton, who withdrew from yesterday's proam because of a stiff neck.

"It's a muscular thing which has worked its way into my right shoulder, but I should be all right by tomorrow," said the Malahide player, who won this tournament at The Forest of Arden two years ago. Then, by way of explaining a depressing, final round of 79 at The Oxfordshire, he added. "I just couldn't putt in the wind - four three putts in nine holes."

Like a voracious beasy, the Ryder Cup is now dominating each event, particularly at this stage of the season when the prize money is becoming substantial. And there is still everything to play for or is there?

"As far as I can see, there is only one place up for grabs from the top 11 in the current table," said Harrington. "I expect 10 of those guys, including (Jose Maria) Olazabal, to be in the team." If this proves to be true, Harrington will be playing today with two virtual certainties, Thomas Bjorn (fifth) and Paul Broadhurst (ninth).

Against that background, the Stackstown player sees no point in concerning himself about his current position in the scheme of things, given his modest, 15th placing "The first thing I've got to do is win a tournament," he said. "Unless I do that, a Ryder Cup place doesn't come into the reckoning, as things stand."

Olazabal, 11th in the standings, is making a return to British soil this week for the first time since competing in the Open at St Andrews in July 1995. He returned to his medical expert in Munich for three days last week, largely as a matter of routine.

"I still have training exercises and I saw the physiotherapist and had some injections: the usual thing," said the Spaniard, who has made a remarkable recovery from potentially crippling foot problems. "It was a matter of checking everything, like your car. You have to pass, otherwise they don't let the car on the road."

He went on: "The doctor and the physio say the muscles are getting stronger, but I have to keep working at it until it is under control. Things have not got worse. There have been no setbacks since I starting, playing golf again. Basically, it is up to me when I visit them and their advice is that I

should maintain the same intensity of tournaments, like two weeks at a time.

"I would love to play more. I love the game; I love to play tournaments and be involved in the competition." All of which means that he has yet to decide on his buildup to the British Open at Royal Troon, specifically with regard to the Murphy's Irish Open. I don't know about that yet," he said. I don't know how the feet will be."

In the meantime, he faces a matchplay assignment next Monday against Colin Montgomerie in the European section of the Andersen Consulting World Championship at The Buckinghamshire. Clarke will also be there, for a quarter final meeting with Bernhard Langer, winner of the last two tournaments in Europe.

Montgomerie, who shot a final rotund of 81 at The Oxfordshire where he five putted the second green, is desperate to find a solution to his problems with the blade. "Obviously that putter had to go," he said yesterday. "It was a bit embarrassing to start five, six, playing with the Ryder Cup captain.

Did Seve Ballesteros say anything to him at that stage? "No," replied the Scot. He waited until I sank a 40 footer at the third. Then he said: "That was four less than you took at the last."

Meanwhile, Hanbury Manor is ready to cope with the challenge of a particularly strong field. At the turn of the century, six time British Open champion Harry Vardon designed and built a ninehole course on the present site.

Though it fell into disuse prior to the arrival of the holy sisters in 1923, the original layout remained visible. Indeed, two of Vardon's bunkers have been incorporated into the current layout designed by Jackie Nicklaus, son of you know who.

"It's a fine test," said Darcy. "And it's particularly nice to see plenty of rough out there. I can remember seeing lots of it around when I first came on the tour, but it seems to have disappeared in recent years to make way for the big hitters."

In fact it is a delightful setting in the Hertfordshire countryside, just 25 minutes' drive from the centre of London. And for aspiring champions, there is the considerable boost of knowing that Langer can't win for a third successive week: he's not playing.