Rafferty set for British Open return

Ronan Rafferty is embarking this week on a programme of physiotherapy with a view to a return to competitive golf in July.

The 35-year-old former European number one, is recovering from surgery to his left hand and has targeted the British Open at Carnoustie for his comeback.

Rafferty played only seven tournaments last season because of recurring problems with his left thumb and has been out of serious action since the English Open last June when he was tied 41st behind Lee Westwood. An attempted comeback in Australia in January led to surgery in Melbourne and his activities since then have largely been limited to appearances as a golf analyst on Sky Sports.

During the recent Portuguese Open at Penina, some European Tour colleagues speculated that he could be forced to quit the game. Indeed there were suggestions that he might end up collecting insurance compensation in the region of £3 million.

Was that figure realistic? "Absolutely," replied Andrew Chandler, owner of International Sports Management. "I have Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood insured for between £4 to £5 million."

Chandler went on: "We didn't worry about matters like insurance when I was a tournament professional but it was one of the first things I did when I founded ISM. The experience of Richard Boxall, who is now one of my clients, should be a lesson to every golfer.

"He had arranged to take out insurance on the Monday after the Open at Royal Birkdale in 1991 and what happens? He breaks a leg in a simple stumble off the ninth tee and is out of the game for six months with no compensation.

"Compare that with David Higgins (also an ISM player) who, when he was out of the game for eight weeks at the beginning of last year with a fractured wrist, was fully insured. After the first two weeks of inactivity, he received £500 per week. This would have been payable up to two years if necessary. Paul McGinley also collected insurance last year when he was out of action with damaged ribs.

"My company's insurance premium on our tour players (about 12) is roughly £60,000. I insure them at various stages, increasing the cover when they buy a house, get married and then start a family. They are insured against loss of tournament earnings and loss of contracts."

So, if Clarke's or Westwood's career is thought to be worth up to £5 million, what would Tiger Woods be insured for? "I suppose you could simply pick a figure," replied Chandler. "My guess would be somewhere around $30 million."

Meanwhile, Rafferty saw his Order of Merit placing plummet from number one in 1989 when he made £400,311 in tournament earnings, to 198th last season when he made money in only two out of six tournaments and that totalled a meagre £4,564.

Still, there is the considerable cushion of career earnings of £2,690,927 leaving him 14th in the all-time list, quite apart from his various endorsements as a client of the International Management Group. "The surgery has gone well and there is no question of Ronan's career being in jeopardy at this stage," said his manager, Adrian Mitchell, yesterday.

There is no tournament in Europe this week, which means that the focus will be on the $2.5 million Bay Hill Invitational, which carries a first prize of $450,000. This is $16,000 less than Vijay Singh collected for his victory last Sunday in the Honda Classic - his eighth US Tour win.

McGinley, who took time off to be with his wife Allison for the birth last week of their first child Niamh, will be returning to action in the Madeira Open next week. Padraig Harrington and John McHenry are also among the entries. But Clarke will be at Bay Hill, courtesy of a phone call by Westwood to the tournament's father figure, Arnold Palmer, on his behalf. "I'm lacking in confidence a bit at the moment but one good week could change all that," said Clarke yesterday.

He went on: "I've had to watch my weight after giving up cigarettes, so I've been in the gym every day. Now I'm hoping a change of scenery, with a bit of Florida sunshine, will do the trick. I'm also in the Players' Championship next week, then I'll be taking a week off before the Masters."