The irony couldn't have been lost on anyone present at the corporate day at Wentworth yesterday.
After all, here was Europe's number one ranked golfer, Padraig Harrington, with a brand new club contract with Wilson that takes their association up to 2008 tucked away in his back pocket, and an international survey confirming him as one of world golf's most dedicated players - and, yet, he won't be in the field for the HSBC World Matchplay Championship which starts over the same East Course later this week.
Funny old game, wouldn't you think? Nevertheless, the Dubliner was pleased as punch to have extended his contract with Wilson, despite very strong interest from a number of other club manufacturers eager to get their claws into such a saleable asset.
"Continuing to play with the Wilson Deep Red irons and drivers gives me a distinct advantage," insisted Harrington, adding: "The continuity is important, as it will help me to reap the benefits of all the hard work over the last few years during a key time of my career.
"I have struck up a really good relationship with the company and its team on tour, who are all as ambitious as I am to succeed," added Harrington, who will also assist in product development over the next five years.
Harrington first contracted to Wilson in 1998 and, although no financial aspect was made available, it can be taken the deal - including bonus payments - is a multi-million euro contract over such a timespan.
Indeed, Angus Moir, the global business director of Wilson Golf based in Chicago, admitted: "This is a big commitment for us, but we are convinced Padraig, with his professional dedication to practising and determination in his play, will become an even more successful and prominent player on the world stage over the coming years. He is the perfect ambassador for our brand and its products."
In an effort to determine Harrington's impact on golf, Wilson commissioned Sports Marketing Suveys to discover how the Irishman is regarded amongst club players. The survey took in a representative sample of 1,000 golfers in the UK, Ireland and the USA and found he ranked only behind multiple-major winners Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Nick Faldo and Vijay Singh with regard to his devotion to training and practice. Harrington finished alongside Arnold Palmer and ahead of such notables as Ernie Els and Greg Norman.
"The survey results prove why we are right to extend our agreement with Padraig," insisted Moir. "It proves he is dedicated and popular amongst golf fans on both sides of the Atlantic."
Apart from his corporate duties at Wentworth yesterday, Harrington - who, despite his weekend inactivity leap-frogged Retief Goosen to return to number nine in the latest world rankings - has another non-competitive week before resuming action in next week's Madrid Open.
For others, there is the matter of one of golf's biggest monetary prizes to occupy their minds: the World Matchplay offers £1 million to the winner with Els, the current leader of the European Tour money list, assuming the mantle of number one seed.
Harrington has no complaints about failing to make the select line-up, which was determined on performances in the year's four majors - "We all knew what the qualifying criteria was," he said, "but maybe it would have been wiser for the sponsors to hold on to two invites" - from which only three European players have qualified to play.
Thursday's line-up will see Australia's Stephen Leaney play South Africa's Tim Clark (the winner meets Els); Vijay Singh will face Alex Cejka (the winner meets Shaun Micheel); Chad Campbell faces Fredrik Jacobsen (the winner plays Ben Curtis), and Len Mattiace takes on Thomas Bjorn (the winner plays Mike Weir).
Elsewhere on the European Tour, with time ticking down to the season-ending Volvo Masters in a fortnight's time, there is an intriguing race developing for inclusion in the top-60 in the money list which qualifies players for the event in Valderrama. Due to a change in the qualification process this year, only players finishing in the leading 60 places on the Order of Merit are eligible to play and among those on the borderline are Sergio Garcia (ranked 57th) and Jose-Maria Olazabal (60th).
This week's Turespana Masters in Mallorca - Philip Walton is the lone Irish player in the field with Damien McGrane a reserve who must wait on possible drop-outs - has one of the smallest prize funds on the tour and won't make too much difference in the greater scheme of things, but Olazabal has decided to play with the aim of collecting the top prize of €66,660.
Of the Irish players, Harrington, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Peter Lawrie have all secured their places at Valderrama while Gary Murphy's top-10 finish in Holland at the weekend keeps him in 56th place but consolidates that position and moves him almost €40,000 clear of 61st placed Peter O'Malley. Incidentally, Murphy has moved into the top 200 in the world - at 200th - for the first time in his career.
Irish positions on Order of Merit: 2, Darren Clarke €2,159,126; 3, Padraig Harrington €1,417,335; 33, Paul McGinley €609,171; 52, Peter Lawrie €402,866; 56, Gary Murphy €368,309; 89, Graeme McDowell €221,909; 142, Damien McGrane €121,152.
