Faldo's return to for Clarke

Darren Clarke has not yet had the carrot of a Ferrari sports car dangled in front of his nose to get him into Europe's Ryder Cup team next year.

Instead, the in-form Ulsterman might find inspiration at Crans sur Sierre, Switzerland, in the week Europe launches its 12-month points campaign, from the presence of its most famous wanderer, Nick Faldo.

The last time the pair clashed seriously was in last year's Volvo PGA Championship when, with Ernie Els, they finished runner-up to Ian Woosnam at Wentworth.

Now Faldo is back from the US Tour for four events over the last six tournaments to be played in Europe this year, four of the next five in fact. The 41-year-old six-times major champion's quest is to nail down Ryder Cup points in haste. That is because he fears he cannot rely on a wild-card any more. New captain Mark James, has indeed hinted that will be the case for many of the Cup veterans.

James hinted last week that Faldo's only recourse to a place in the team for next year's Ryder Cup match against the United States at the Country Club, Brookline, near Boston, was by winning enough points over the next year.

"I'm very glad to hear Nick is coming back to Europe and particularly that he is going to try to play his way into the team," said James.

"There are sure to be two or three of the past generation still in the team but nobody can assume they will be chosen if they haven't made the top 10 qualifiers."

The big Englishman thus becomes the man to beat and with him in the field there is the spur for everyone, Clarke, Lee Westwood, whom Clarke is again hoping to surge past for European number one and for Colin Montgomerie, who once used Faldo as role model.

Clarke said: "It can only be for the good of European Tour golf to have Nick back. He's a world-class player and the competition will be all the stronger for having him in the field. It will be for the better of all of us."

However, Clarke is among the top 20 players Faldo knows he has to be wary of nowadays - the players who could stand in his way of making it 12 Ryder Cups after he bettered Christy O'Connor's record last year at Valderrama.

Said the returning Faldo: "I know there are a lot more potential winners now, a lot more names to beat; some names I can't pronounce! I always thought when I was doing my winning in Europe there were five or six names really, maybe 10, who you were looking at to beat. Now I'm sure it's closer to 20 guys.

"But I'm here to win Ryder Cup points and I want to get out and get started. So I'm playing here, the Lancome Trophy, German Masters and Belgacom. Winning points is why I've changed; to come over and give it a go.

"I don't want to go through all the wild-card situation again and I want to get in fair-and-square this time."

And Faldo may play on to the point of exhaustion next year. "I'll try to do both tours next year," he maintained. "It's a lot of golf and a long season, but the goal is to make the team as quickly as possible and then decide what to do after that."

Clarke's Ryder Cup ideals, however, follow those of his quest to be European number one - he is still £43,000 behind Westwood - this year. He observed: the outcome of the order of merit and my Ryder Cup place are all down to playing well. If I play well I win tournaments. If I win tournaments I get into the Ryder Cup team again. There'll never be any change to that as far as I'm concerned. This week is the same as any other except that we get points as well as pounds." Westwood and Clarke will continue their private little battle for European glory, with Westwood returning following a lay-off with a sore hip. Clarke got close to him but could not quite take advantage of his stablemate's absence last week as the putting went sour on the Irishman in Munich on the final day.

Padraig Harrington eyes the order of merit rather than the Ryder Cup points trail. Yesterday Harrington felt there was no point worrying about Cup points with 12 months to go. His goal is a top 15 in Europe to gain places in two majors, a quest he called "a tall order" from his current 24th spot.

David Higgins stepped in from first reserve after Paul McGinley's name was erased from the startsheet but not the pro-am sheet. McGinley decided to give the course, where he consistently fails to perform, a miss. Only snag was that the tour did not know he was not coming until Tuesday night after an "administration error". That was good for Higgins, however, as he mounts a last-ditch bid to retain his card.

Raymond Burns does the same. Des Smyth begins his third decade of playing for Ryder Cup points.