GRAEME McDOWELL joined fellow US-based players Ian Poulter, the holder, and Justin Rose on a flight out of Orlando yesterday which brought them back home across the Atlantic for the kind of mano-o-mano tournament – the Volvo World Matchplay championship in Finca Cortesin, southern Spain – that could be just what the Ulsterman needs to invigorate his season.

Indeed, McDowell and fellow Ulsterman Darren Clarke may feel that some old-fashioned matchplay, a format in which they have each proven extremely successful, is exactly what is required to add impetus as the season enters a particularly busy time.

McDowell, who is seeded fourth, has been drawn to play Sweden’s Robert Karlsson – who answered the SOS to come in as a late-replacement after Paul Casey was forced to withdraw due to a recurrence of his shoulder injury – in Thursday’s opening series of round-robin matches, but Clarke won’t know his opponent until the unseeded players, for he is one of them, are randomly drawn into groups today.

The season thus far has been particularly tough on British Open champion Clarke, who hasn’t yet made a cut on the European Tour and who has only completed four rounds in events – the Volvo Champions and the WGC-Cadillac – where there have been limited fields and no cut.

McDowell and Clarke are the only two Irish players in the 24-man field in Spain, with world number one Rory McIlroy declining his chances to play (as did number two Luke Donald and number three Lee Westwood, with number nine Martin Kaymer the top-ranked player off the world rankings competing).

McIlroy is scheduled to resume tournament play at next week’s BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth.

This week’s World Matchplay will see Poulter attempt to become the first player to successfully defend the title since Ernie Els completed his second hat-trick of titles in 2004 when the event was staged at Wentworth.

A year ago, Poulter defeated Donald in an all-English final and, seeking to pick himself up after a disappointing weekend at The Players where he led after the first round, the change of format is a timely one.

“I love the cut and thrust of matchplay and find it a refreshing chance from the usual strokeplay we play week in and week out on the tour . . . and, with the fact it is a Ryder Cup year, it will be a chance to impress (Jose Maria) Olazabal in what is out final chance to play matchplay before Medinah (in September),” said Poulter.

The group format for this year’s event has the top-16 seeds in action on Thursday, while the remaining eight players – who will be picked into their respective groups in a draw today – will face two matches on Friday.

The three players from each group will play each other once, with the top two players progressing to the knockout phases.

Meanwhile, Pádraig Harrington claimed to be “devastated” after missing the cut in The Players, where his short game – traditionally his strong point – took the blame for a poor second round that saw him miss out on the weekend at a course where he hasn’t played particularly well since the event moved to a May slot (from March).

Harrington, who this week remains on the US Tour to play in the Byron Nelson Classic before returning to Europe next week for the tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA at Wentworth, said: “When I looked back on the second round, it was clear-cut as to why I missed (the cut). It was down to my short game . . . it was typical of me after a long break (three weeks off), it always takes me a tournament to get back into being competitive.”

The Dubliner – who has fallen to 95th in the latest world rankings – didn’t waste his time in Florida after missing the cut by one shot: he played in a pro-am on the Saturday – “I was a little sharper after playing the two rounds of the tournament” – and spent time on the practice range and short-game area.

“I’m really looking forward to the next two weeks as I know that I will be tournament ready,” said Harrington.

Two-time Major champion John Daly has confirmed – on twitter – that he will be playing in next month’s Irish Open at Royal Portrush, but Lee Westwood – who has taken on Kiwi Michael Waite as his temporary caddie, standing in for regular Billy Foster who will be out of action for up to six months after sustaining an injury playing in a charity football match – hasn’t included the Antrim links on his upcoming schedule.

Westwood also used twitter yesterday to reveal he will play Wentworth next week, followed by the Scandinavian Masters and the US Open before taking a break and then returning to action in the French Open, the week after the Irish Open.