Only a week after finishing fourth in the European Order of Merit, Darren Clarke has been invited to make his debut in the Australian Open at Metropolitan in Melbourne on November 27th to 30th. He will travel there after competing in Japan.
This is yet another bonus for Clarke from the enhanced international status gained by finishing second to Justin Leonard in the British Open last July and competing in the triumphant European Ryder Cup team two months later. In the Australian Open field, he joins defending champion and world number one Greg Norman, Ryder Cup colleague Lee Westwood, Americans Phil Mickelson and Mark Calcavecchia and Fiji's Vijay Singh.
The richly-gifted Westwood headed to join Clarke in Japan yesterday after finishing runnerup to Calcavecchia in the Sarazen World Open at Chateau Elan, where the American overcame some serious last-nine stumbling to win by three strokes. Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley finished down the field with disappointing aggregates of 290 and 291 respectively. Both players are remaining in the US where they will form Ireland's World Cup team at Kiawah Island next week.
On the home scene, David Higgins is a particularly interesting competitor in the Mitsubishi Electric Links Society outing at The Island on Thursday. Next week, Higgins will join Francis Howley as Ireland's challengers in the European Tour Qualifying School at the San Roque and Guadalmena courses on Spain's Costa del Sol.
Other professionals in the Links line-up are Des Smyth, Philip Walton and the reigning East of Ireland champion, Sean Quinlivan.
Meanwhile, Tommy Horton is determined to guard against complacency in the build-up to the inaugural Praia D'el Rey European Cup which starts in Portugal on Friday. Horton captains the European Seniors against a Women's European Tour line-up led by the stylish Marie-Laure de Lorenzi of France.
"This Ryder Cup-style match will be no pushover," said Horton yesterday. "These women have proved their outstanding talent in America and around the world this year." One can assume that among the players to whom Horton was referring was Alison Nicholas, who captured the US Women's Open last July.
The men's skipper went on: "One thing is certain, it won't be a cosy affair. This is serious stuff. We're playing for £10,000 per player for winning and £5,000 for the losers. That's a considerable difference in cash and represents a nice, end-of-season bonus."
Former Ryder Cup players in the Seniors' line-up are Horton, Maurice Bembridge, Jose-Maria Canizares, Antonio Garrido, Malcolm Gregson and Brian Waites. "I played in the same Ryder Cup side as Maurice in 1975, but not with him," added Horton. "He is a great foursomes man, very accurate off the tee and a strong iron player.
"I haven't really worked things out yet, but our two Spaniards, Antonio and Jose-Maria, are a natural pairing to be tried. They should make a formidable team and I suppose I will be expected to play alongside John Morgan."
Eight of the WPGET team finished in the top-12 of their Order of Merit. The match follows a similar format to the Ryder Cup, with 20 points at stake over the three days from five foursomes, five fourballs and 10 singles.
The women's team is: MarieLaure de Lorenzi (captain), Maria Hjorth, Trish Johnson, Karen Lunn, Laurette Maritz, Kathryn Marshall, Patricia MeurierLebouc, Joanne Morley, Alison, Shani Waugh.
