Europe draws Faldo back

Nick Faldo, who will be returning to the Murphy's Irish Open next month, plans to extend his European activities with an eye on the 1999 Ryder Cup team at Brookline, Massachusetts. The winner of six major championships intends to play up to 11 Ryder Cup qualifying events once the process starts in September.

"My immediate objective is to try and play three tournaments in Europe towards the end of this season and three at the start of next year," he said, after finishing with an aggregate of four-under-par, 12 strokes behind winner Fred Couples, in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, Ohio, last weekend.

Faldo, whose best US finish this year was a share of 18th place in the Players' Championship at Sawgrass in March, wants to avoid a repetition of last year - when he had to rely on a wild-card place - in what would be a 12th successive Ryder Cup appearance. "My ball-striking is 100 per cent better than it was a month ago and most departments of my game are coming around," he said.

He added: "I just have to get on the leaderboard and start putting pressure on the other guys. I must keep playing smart and ensure that my good shots are rewarded."

In his only European appearance so far this season he was tied eighth behind Tiger Woods in the Johnnie Walker Classic last January.

Faldo is backing Ian Woosnam for captaincy of the European side - "he would bring some Welsh fire to the job". The Englishman is aware, however, that the more likely choice is Mark James, who might not be so favourably disposed to the notion of extending Faldo's wild-card sequence.

Meanwhile, Ireland will have nine challengers in the £650,000 English Open which starts at Hanbury Manor on Thursday. Among them will be the 1995 champion, Philip Walton, who showed a welcome return to form in Hamburg over the weekend.

The full Irish line-up is: Darren Clarke, Walton, Paul McGinley, Padraig Harrington, Ronan Rafferty, Christy O'Connor jnr, Raymond Burns, Eamonn Darcy and Des Smyth.

Clarke will fly out on Sunday night to prepare for next week's Buick Classic at Westchester, before going on to San Francisco for the US Open at the Olympic Club.