EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS ROUND-UP:ROBERT KARLSSON will not be able to win the European Tour Order of Merit title at the Portuguese Masters next week.

The Swede, who claimed his second title of the season with a play-off victory in the Dunhill Links Championship at the weekend, overtook Pádraig Harrington at the top of the standings, with Karlsson €142,425 ahead of his Irish rival.

There is a first prize of €500,000 in Portugal, but the winner of the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama will be able to drawn down on a €704,000 cheque.

But Karlsson clearly has placed himself in pole position, and the fact he will tee it up in Portugal while Harrington plays in the Grand Slam of Golf that week in Bermuda certainly stacks the odds a little more in his favour.

Lee Westwood is not out of the equation in terms of the Order of Merit as he too plays in Portugal and Spain.

This week the tour stops in Madrid, but none of the top three will take part, though fourth-placed Miguel Angel Jimenez will be present.

Karlsson is adjusting to his new- found status as Europe's leading prize money winner. "I'm going to play one more tournament before that, and he's (Harrington) not, so if I do my job well, maybe I can build a little bit of a cushion.

"But it's not that important. I have exceeded my expectations on the season so far. I'm just out here playing and having fun. And then we'll see what happens."

Only two Irish golfers will make the journey to Madrid, Damien McGrane and Gary Murphy. Graeme McDowell, Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke, Peter Lawrie and Rory McIlroy are expected to return at the Portuguese Masters.

From an Irish perspective, there is considerably more interest in what happens next week in Italy on the European Challenge Tour. Gareth Maybin, Michael Hoey, Michael McGeady, Colm Moriarty and Stephen Browne head for the tournament nursing a variety of goals.

Maybin, third in the Challenge Tour standings and assured of a place at the Grand Final and, more lucratively, a card on the full European Tour next season, returns to competition for the first time in four weeks since his victory in China.

The top-20 on the Challenge Tour will join the elite next season, and for Hoey (27th) and McGeady (38th) snaffling one of those cards is still feasible. The top-45 in the standings after that tournament concludes on Saturday week will earn a place in the Grand Final.

Moriarty (55th) and Browne (119th) will be concentrating on improving the calibre of their card for next season.