Rory Works on the Driving

Rory McIlroy has admitted he will once again be working on his driving ahead of his return to competitive action at the Dubai Desert Classic next week.

The US Open champion came within a whisker of starting his season with a victory last weekend but finished as runner-up in Abu Dhabi, just one shot behind eventual winner Robert Rock.

His near miss was made all the more galling given that McIlroy was handed a two-shot penalty for wiping sand off the fringe of a green during Friday's second round.

The 22-year-old felt there were plenty of positives to take from his performance but has admitted there is still work for him to do off the tee.

McIlroy hit less than 50 percent of fairways in Abu Dhabi but feels he is heading in the right direction with his driver.

"(I'll) work on still the same things that I was working on coming into (last) week, a little bit of posture, trying to get the club in the right position on the way back," he explained.

Big improvement

"(In Abu Dhabi) I improved off the tee every day. (On Sunday) I didn't miss a fairway until the 11th I think, and that was a big improvement and something I still have to work on."

The Ulsterman will skip this week's European Tour event in Qatar, but will be back in action in Dubai the following week and is already looking forward to competing.

The event holds special memories for him as it was the scene of his maiden professional triumph back in 2009.

This time around he will start as favourite for the title and is determined to arrive with his game in top condition.

"Yeah, really looking forward to a course I've done well at before and great memories," McIlroy added.

"Looking forward to getting another week's worth of practise and coming out and trying to challenge for that title and my first title of the year."

Clarke and Mulrooney Part

Darren Clarke has parted company with caddie John Mulrooney, the man with whom he won The Open Championship at Sandwich last July.

Clarke took the decision after missing the halfway cut at the Abu Dhabi Championship over the weekend.

The Ulsterman finished well down the field after following a level-par opening 72 with a disappointing 81 in Friday's second round.

The 43-year-old has struggled for form since his memorable major triumph and has not managed a top-10 finish since that victory at Royal St George's.

Clarke's management stable, ISM, have insisted that the split is amicable and report that he will now spend the next few weeks considering Mulrooney's replacement.

Clarke's next competitive outing will be the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona at the end of February and he will hope to have a new man in place for that event.

Mulrooney took over as Clarke's full-time caddie after the former Ryder Cup player won the Iberdrola Open in Majorca in May of last year.

One That Got Away for McIlroy

McIlroy was runner-up for the second year running, but will remember this one for the incident when he brushed sand away just off the green midway through his second round, leading to a costly two shot penalty.

The most dramatic finish, however, came from Graeme McDowell. 

He holed-in-one on the 12th - Sergio Garcia and Jose Manuel Lara did it in the first round - chipped in on the next and then closed with two more birdies.

That does not tell the full story. The Ulsterman then thinned his third shot at the 18th and, after hitting the grandstand behind the green, the ball rebounded some 30 feet to within six feet of the flag.

Like McIlroy, McDowell was left to rue something earlier in the week. He went in the water and double-bogeyed the 17th on day one after his driver broke.

It was Robert Rock though that held off 14-time Major winner Tiger Woods and US Open Champion Rory McIlroy to claim a sensational victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

With the theme tune to the "Rocky" films being sung by fans - many of them having witnessed England's cricket collapse the day before - the 34 year old came up with a true knock-out performance.

Only 117th in the Official World Golf Ranking at the start of the week, Rock said after his one stroke triumph over McIlroy: "I really can't believe I have done that today." 

"I was just very happy to be playing with Tiger. That's a special honour in itself."

While he shot a two under par 70 to finish 13 under, Woods scrambled his way to a 72 and instead of recording a second successive victory on the comeback trail had to settle for a share of third place with Graeme McDowell and Thomas Björn.

"I was just a touch off," said the former World Number One, who hit only one fairway on the back nine and only six greens in regulation all day.

"But Robert played great. He made a couple of key up-and-downs and a couple of beautiful iron shots down the stretch."

McIlroy's closing birdie for a 69 looked as if it might give him a play-off when Rock's drive down the same hole headed towards the lake.

It stopped short of the water, but in the hazard amongst rocks and plants and, with a two shot lead, he wisely elected to take a penalty drop.

Short of the green in three, his pitch came up 25 feet short and still left him with work to do, but after holing birdie putts from ten and six feet at the 14th and 16th his touch did not let him down and two putts completed the greatest day of his career.

For years Rock worked in the Swingers Golf Centre in Tamworth, "selling Mars bars and watching Tiger win Majors".

He was 26 before he made it onto The European Tour and 31 when he finally tasted success at last year's BMW Italian Open.

"It's been a steady progression and I've worked hard, but I didn't think this would happen," he said.

In addition to Woods all the world's top four were present. Number One Luke Donald came 48th, while Lee Westwood's 17th place means McIlroy regains second spot off his former stablemate.

Every one of Woods' 14 Major titles came with him at least sharing the lead with a round to go and this was only the ninth time in his entire career that he has not gone on to victory from such a position.

He was odds-on to come out on top again when he birdied the second and third, but Rock matched both of them and the American's bogeys at the next two separated them.

After a seven foot birdie on the sixth the gap was three, but by the turn it was back to one. Rock ran up a six at the long eighth and Woods birdied the next.

That made him favourite again, but a bogey six on the 582 yard tenth was his only deviation from par on the back nine.

There was still a chance Rock might crack after bogeying the 13th, but his response was superb and after the scare down the last the €347,024 first prize became his.

Results

Could Have Been Rory

Rory McIlroy would be sharing top spot if he had not incurred his two-stroke penalty for brushing sand away off the ninth green in his second round. However a 68 on Saturday kept him firmly in the hunt.

Joint leade Tiger Woods joked that "it will be nice to get rid of him" after playing with McIlroy three days in a row - and also for nine holes of practice.

Pádraig Harrington had a score of 72 and it dropped the Dubliner from 11th to 27th.

Graeme McDowell made progress with a 68 that left him on seven under, but the leading Irish man yesterday, Gareth Maybin, stayed on six under after a 72.

Michael Hoey improved from two over to one under with a 69.

Tiger Woods was ideally placed to put down a huge marker for the season after charging into a share of the lead with a day to go at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Having ended 2011 with his first victory for over two years, Woods has a great chance to start 2012 with another.

Thanks to a superb bogey-free display, the 14-major winner is on 11-under-par and tied with England’s Robert Rock, who ensured it was not all about the American when he birdied the final two holes for a matching 66.

They are two in front of four Ryder Cup players — Scot Paul Lawrie, Swede Peter Hanson, Italian Francesco Molinari and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.

The 22-year-old US Open champion would of course be sharing top spot if he had not incurred his two-stroke penalty for brushing sand away off the ninth green in his second round, but a 68 kept him firmly in the hunt.

Woods joked that “it will be nice to get rid of him” after playing with McIlroy three days in a row — and also for nine holes of practice.

Delighted though he was with his position, the former world number one was not inclined to scream “I’m back” afterwards.

Instead Woods told Sky Sports: “I was just kind of consistent. I didn’t do a whole lot wrong, I didn’t do a whole lot right. Six birdies piled up, but I was methodically going about my business and grinding.

“This course is playing difficult enough. You can make birdies, but you can go the wrong way quickly. I’ve still got to post a good number.”

There were an amazing 24 changes at the top of the leaderboard during the day and at one point eight players were locked together.

Woods made himself the man to catch, however, when he followed his front nine of 34 with further birdies on the 10th, 12th and 14th.

Another came when he found the green in two and two-putted the 567-yard last, but Rock fired in an approach to five feet on the 17th and closed with an eight-footer.

The 34-year-old’s only European Tour victory in well over 200 starts came at the Italian Open last season. He admitted he was thinking about the possibility of playing the final round with Woods as he entered the finishing stretch.

Less than a decade ago Rock was working at the Swingers Golf Centre in Tamworth.

“I was selling Mars bars, chatting to my mates, watching him (Woods) winning majors,” he said. “I was keeping an eye on the leaderboard wondering if I had a chance to play with him. It’s cool — I can’t wait. Maybe not many opportunities will come my way.”

McIlroy said: “I’ve seen up close how Tiger is playing and I feel if I play my best I’ve got a great chance. It will be a bit different not playing with him. Tiger will bring most of the crowd and maybe I can go quietly about my business.”

Hanson had a best-of-the-week 64, Molinari had a 66 and Lawrie a 68 as he continued to enjoy himself in the desert. Last month the former Open champion, now 43, was runner-up to Alvaro Quiros at the Dubai World Championship.

World number one Luke Donald managed only a 73 after setting off with three birdies in four holes and now finds himself down in joint 55th place on level par.

Among those who overtook him was second-ranked Lee Westwood, whose 68 came a day after he was struggling with a neck problem.

Halfway leader Thorbjorn Olesen’s 71 dropped him into a tie for seventh.

Maguire's and Meadow in Curtis Squad

The Ladies’ Golf Union International Selection Panel has today named a Great Britain & Ireland preliminary squad of 12 players for the 37th Curtis Cup match against the United States at The Nairn Golf Club, Scotland from June 8 to 10, 2012. 

They are: 

AMY BOULDEN (Conwy GC). Age 18. 

HOLLY CLYBURN (Woodhall Spa GC). Age 20. 

CHARLEY HULL (Woburn GC). Age 15. 

BRONTE LAW (Bramhall GC). Age 16. 

LEONA MAGUIRE (Slieve Russell GC). Age 17. 

LISA MAGUIRE (Slieve Russell GC). Age 17. 

BECKY HARRIES (Haverfordwest GC). Age 23. 

KELSEY MacDONALD (Nairn Dunbar GC). Age 21. 

PAMELA PRETSWELL (Bothwell Castle). Age 22. 

KELLY TIDY (Royal Birkdale GC). Age 19. 

STEPHANIE MEADOW (Royal Portrush GC). Age 20. 

LAUREN TAYLOR (Woburn GC). Age 17. 

First Reserve 

GEORGIA HALL (Remedy Oak GC). Age 15. 

The players, watched by team captain Tegwen Matthews and the LGU International Selection Panel, will take part in a three-day team trial over The Nairn Golf Club’s championship links from Friday to Sunday, March 23 to 25. 

The names of the players and reserves chosen for the team will be released for publication on Tuesday, March 27. 

NOTES ON PLAYERS SELECTED 

Amy Boulden, Holly Clyburn, Kelsey MacDonald, Pamela Pretswell and Kelly Tidy were the Great Britain & Ireland team of five, captained by Tegwen Matthews, who beat Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa to win the Astor Trophy (an international team match-play tournament played every four years) at Fairhaven GC, Lancashire in June 2011. 

Amy Boulden, Holly Clyburn, Kelsey MacDonald, Pamela Pretswell, Stephanie Meadow, Leona Maguire and Kelly Tidy played for GB&I in the 2010 Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe at Royal Porthcawl last June. 

Holly Clyburn, Leona and Lisa Maguire, Pamela Pretswell played in the 2010 Curtis Cup match at Essex County Club, Massachusetts. Kelsey MacDonald was first reserve, Stephanie Meadow second reserve and Amy Boulden fourth reserve for that match. 

Becky Harries is the 2011 Welsh Ladies’ (Close) Amateur Champion, beating Amy Boulden in the final. Becky won all six matches (three foursomes, three singles) for Wales in the 2011 Women’s Home Internationals at Hillside GC, Lancashire last September. Becky finished in a very creditable sixth place in the recent Spanish Charley Hull played for Europe in the 2010 Junior Solheim Cup match in Ireland and for GB & I in the inaugural Junior Vagliano Trophy match at Royal Porthcawl last June. Twins Leona and Lisa Maguire also played in the Junior Solheim Cup match, as did Lauren Taylor and Amy Boulden. Bronte Law and Georgia Hall played in the Junior Vagliano Trophy match. 

Charley Hull won the English and Welsh women’s open stroke-play titles in 2011. She was beaten finalist in the English women’s (closed) amateur championship. A couple of weeks ago she won the Harder Hall Invitational, the opening event of the Orange Blossom Tour in Florida. Bronte Law won the Scottish Under-16 girls’ open championship in 2011. 

Leona Maguire won the British, Irish and Portuguese Ladies’ Open Amateur Stroke Play Championships in 2011. Lisa Maguire won the European women’s individual title in Holland and also the Spanish Ladies’ Open Amateur match-play championship. 

Stephanie Meadow has been released by Alabama University to travel to Nairn for the team trial. Stephanie, now in her second year at university, has won four times in all on the American college circuit. 

Lauren Taylor, at 16, was the youngest ever winner of the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship (first played in 1893) at Royal Portrush GC last June. She was named the BBC Young Sports Personality of 2011.

McIlroy Ready to Roar at HSBC

Rory McIlroy feels ready to make a fast start to 2012 as he kicks off his season tomorrow at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, where he is paired with Tiger Woods and World Number One Luke Donald on the opening two days.

The 22 year old US Open champion has finished 11th, fifth, third and second in the event the past four years and would love to see that improvement continue.

"It's a golf course that I feel suits me," he said today. "Maybe doesn't suit me as well as it does Martin Kaymer, but I'm getting there."

The German, out later in the first round with Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia, has won the title two of the past three years and three of the last four.

"It's a great way to start the year and I'm excited to get the new season up and running," added McIlroy, who practised with Woods for nine holes yesterday.

"It was good. He seems like he's happy with everything - I know he's definitely happy that he feels like he's back to 100% fitness, which is great for him.

"He hit a lot of good shots out there, so I think he's worked hard in the off-season and looks like his game is in pretty good shape.

"It's definitely not a quiet way to start the year. You're playing with two of the best golfers in the world in the first two days and you're up against one of the strongest fields probably that will be assembled this year.

"You want to try and get off to a good start, so you want to try and play well, but obviously the majors have that little bit extra."

McIlroy's last appearance in the Middle East was for last month's Dubai World Championship presented by DP World, where he was struggling with suspected Dengue fever.

"I definitely wasn't feeling my best the last couple of weeks of the season. I actually stayed out in Dubai for ten days afterwards - I was advised not to travel anywhere for at least a week.

"I got home on December 22, spent three or four days at home, then flew to Thailand to spend New Year with my family and Caroline's family as well."

Westwood will be delighted to start 2012 as he ended 2011, winning in South Africa and Thailand either side of the Dubai event.

"The most pleasing thing was about four weeks prior to that I started working with Phil Kenyon, my new putting coach," said the world number two.

"To shoot 62 around Sun City and then 60 and 64 around the course in Thailand you need to start making a few 15-footers, which I've been missing for the previous 17 years!

"Once they start going in all of a sudden you turn what would be a good round of 65 into a 60 or 62."

Westwood's main aim for the season, of course, is to try to end his wait for a Major.

"I think it's very difficult to win a Major without making a few (putts) that are surprising or bonuses, so if I can start rolling in a few 25- to 30-footers that's obviously going to make a massive difference.

"The difference with Phil is that my practice is a lot more structured and based around drills to make sure that I do the same thing over and over again.

"And other than saying that I'm not answering any more questions on putting.

"It helps your whole game. It gives you confidence - if you start making putts that you have not been making then it takes the pressure off your long game."

Harrington Helped by Mickelson

Padraig Harrington will need to climb to 65th in the world rather than 64th to earn a place in next month's Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Phil Mickelson has said he will miss the event - the first World Golf Championship of the season - to take a family holiday, freeing up an extra space on the entry list.

Harrington's 10th-placed finish at the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa has lifted him only one spot from 89th to 88th in the new rankings.

The Dubliner is part of the star-studded field this week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the tournament where he started with a 65 last year but then was disqualified over a ball-moving incident picked up by an eagle-eyed television viewer.

The sport's ruling bodies saw the unfairness of the disqualification and if the same was to happen this week it would be only a two-stroke penalty.

Volvo World Champions for Grace

Europe’s Ryder Cup captain José María Olazábal failed to end his seven-year wait for a trophy as home favourite Branden Grace claimed the Volvo World Champions title at the Fancourt Links in the Western Cape in South Africa.

Olazábal, 45, was the lowest-ranked player in the select 35-man field at No 596 but went into the final round just two behind the leaders.

The US Masters champion in 1994 and 1999 has struggled with rheumatism and his last professional golf title was the Majorca Classic in 2005, so it would have been a hugely emotional triumph.

He started well, with two birdies taking him into a share of the lead, but then slipped back to finish sixth. Two other former major champions, Scotland’s Paul Lawrie and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, tied for 10th.

It was a special victory for Grace, who was following up his maiden tour win last week and became just the sixth golfer to win his first two European Tour events in back-to-back tournaments.

He needed a play-off to do it, however, beating compatriots Ernie Els and Retief Goosen after all three finished on 12-under-par. Grace birdied the 18th hole in the sudden-death play-off.

The South African, 23, should have wrapped up the win in regulation play as he stood over a four-foot putt for a birdie on the 18th, but he ­shovelled it wide to send the three back down the hole once again.

Els’s tee shot on the sudden-death hole was down the left and ran through the fairway into the rough, putting him under immediate pressure. The three-times major champion hacked out and then hit a superb long-iron that ended 15 feet from the hole, but sent his putt for birdie just wide.

Goosen hit his drive down the middle of a fairway and his second on to a bank just right of the green, but his hopes were ended by an awful chip that finished 25 feet short of the flag.

Grace hit a three-wood from the fairway on to the green and an excellent first putt ensured that he had another little four-footer for the win. This time he made no mistake and proved that last week’s Johannesburg Open success was no flash in the pan.

Grace Sets Volvo Champions Pace

The lead is still four after two rounds of the Volvo Golf Champions at Fancourt in South Africa - but now it is local man Branden Grace rather than Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts out in front.

Grace, last man into The European Tour's winners-only event thanks to his victory at the Joburg Open last Sunday, shot 66 to reach 12 under par.

Colsaerts, on the other hand, had a 76 - 12 more than his course record first round - to drop to joint fifth place.

While that was the joint worst score of the day the best was a 65 from England's Lee Slattery. 

And it not only lifted the 33 year old from 22nd to joint second with Thomas Aiken, another of the home contingent, but also earned him a new car.

Playing partner Retief Goosen (68) received the same prize as they combined with English amateur Mark Vandenberghe to win the one round team event.

José María Olazábal almost joined them in winning a car, lipping out for a hole-in-one at the short 17th, but Europe's Ryder Cup Captain - at 596th in the Official World Golf Ranking the lowest-ranked player in the 35-strong field - was happy enough with a 68 to be in fourth spot on his own.

For the second day running, though, Padraig Harrington finished with a double bogey seven and, having also dropped shots on the previous two holes, the Irishman's 73 left him with eight shots to make up like Open Champion Darren Clarke (68) and Masters Tournament winner Charl Schwartzel (67).

Only last month 23 year old Grace was at The European Tour Qualifying School in Spain, but he came through that six-day ordeal in joint tenth place and has been flying ever since.

"I'm just really enjoying it out there," he said after grabbing eight birdies. 

"It's probably my favourite course in the world and coming back here is a fabulous feeling - especially playing well."

Slattery feared he would be at Qualifying School as well - in his case for the ninth time - until he won the Bankia Madrid Masters in October.

"Winning certainly gives you belief," said the 33 year old Englishman after picking up an amazing ten birdies just as Colsaerts had done in the opening round.

"That's probably my best round out there, one I'm going to remember for the rest of my life.

"Because of the team prize I was willing Retief's putts in as well. God knows what the amateur felt like, but he handled it well.

"I've had about 12 holes-in-one, but have never won a car before."

Olazábal was pleased to show signs of the form that brought him two Green Jackets before a series of injury problems, as the Spaniard targets his first victory for seven years on Sunday.

“I think the last couple of years I've played pretty poorly, so improving that, it was not all that difficult,” said the 45 year old.

Aiken has an added reason for wanting to come out on top - he is on a campaign to help save the rhino and the more publicity (and money) he can get the better.

"I've started my own charity," he said. "It's disgusting what's happening. We've got a war going on.

"Rhino horns are being valued at a million dollars. We've got tractors on the grounds, roadblocks and help from the Air Force because they are shooting them from helicopters now.

"We've got about six years left until they are extinct and if we hang around too long we are going to be too late."

Pádraig Harrington again faltered in sight of the clubhouse at the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa as back-to-back bogeys on the 16th and 17th and another double-bogey on the last saw him drop back down the leaderboard at Fancourt.

A double-bogey on the 18th had undone his opening round after he had carded six birdies, but after dropping a shot on the sixth this morning, he put together five birdies in eight holes from the eighth to move to eight under and a share of third place.

His round unravelled after that, with bogeys on the par-five 16th and the short 17th before closing for the second day with a seven on the final hole as he took three putts to navigate the treacherous green. That all added up to a level-par 73 and he remains on four under for the tournament.

British Open champion Darren Clarke carded seven birdies and two bogeys in a five-under-par 68 that moved him to four under for the tournament.

Michael Hoey improved on his opening 78 when carding a one-under 72 to lie on four over for the tournament.

Delaney Misses Q School Cut

Tara Delaney saw her strong momentum in the early rounds undone at La Manga, after a fourth round of 79 saw her miss the cut into the final rounds - and a total of five shots off the mark as a result. 

England’s Jodi Ewart continued to lead after the fourth round of the Ladies European Tour’s Final Qualifying School at La Manga Club in Spain on Wednesday as 52 players made the cut, securing their places in the fifth and final round.

Wednesday’s penultimate round represented a chance for the 99 competitors in the field to make a break towards the top 50 and ties and the magic number fell at nine over par.

On Thursday, the remaining 52 competitors will ultimately be targeting the crucial top 30 places and membership of the LET in category 8a.

After the final round, those who finish in positions 31 to 52 will be eligible for Membership in Category 9b, but with fewer chances to play.

As always at Qualifying School, there was drama at the top and bottom of the leader board as the players jostled for position.

At the top of the leader board, Ewart’s overnight lead was cut from seven to four shots, after Swiss amateur Anais Maggetti fired a six under 67 on the South Course to end the day at seven under par.

Maggetti, 21, from Losone, showed what was possible as she reeled off seven birdies and one bogey in the bright and sunny, calm conditions.

She said: “I am very happy and I holed two long putts of 20 metres. Tomorrow I want to play the same as today.”

If Maggetti finishes inside the top 30 places, she will turn professional, but if not will consider her options.

Ewart turned professional in June 2010 and has been honing her game on the US Futures Tour since graduating from New Mexico University, but she said that she endured a frustrating day on the greens.

A fourth round of two over 73 on the North Course gave the 24-year-old from North Yorkshire an 11 under par aggregate total.

Ewart said: “I didn’t get very many chances today. They just weren’t falling at all. I had one bad hole which set me back a couple of shots but nothing really went in.

“I am feeling calm but I got a little frustrated today because I had a couple of unlucky finishes, behind trees and stuff. I got a little bit unlucky and had one bogey and one double. I hit it in a fairway bunker and just got a little bit greedy with my lay-up shot, which was 115. I caught the lip of the bunker and came back in and three putted on top of that. I just had one birdie on the fifth.

“Nothing was dropping. I had so many pars and everything was green in regulation and two putts. It was a pretty boring round and the opposite of yesterday.”

At the other end of the leader board, Russian Maria Verchenova was one of the players who climbed up into the top 52 places moving from tied 55th into a share of 43rd with a one under par 72 on the South Course, but Scotland’s Lynn Kenny went the other way, slipping from tied 49th into joint 76th with a 78 on the North.

While there was misery for some, there was joy for Norwegian Caroline Martens, sitting in a share of 30th position on six over par in total, after she had a hole in one at the second on the North Course. She also had a hole in one on a different hole on the same course the previous year. 

With one day to go, the golfers are facing the last 18 holes of this year’s test, but who will be able to withstand the pressure and produce the goods when it is needed the most?

Ultimately, the higher up the leader board the players finish, the more competitive chances will be available to them during the 2012 season.

If necessary, a play-off will take place to establish first position, to determine who will follow in the footsteps of Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall as recent LET Q-School winners, while if necessary, there will also be a play-off to establish 30th place.

The final round will be played over the South Course starting from two tees at 9.30am on Thursday, with the leading trio of Ewart, Maggetti and Stephanie Kirchmayr, who shares joint third spot with Carlota Ciganda at four under, teeing off the first at 10.50am.

Harrington Still Expects

Although Padraig Harrington is currently 99th in the world, he expects to win more majors in his career. 

“That’s a big, strong word, but I do, yeah,” said the Dubliner at Fancourt in South Africa, where his season starts with the Volvo Golf Champions.

“I didn’t have a great year last year, but it doesn’t worry me in the greater scheme of things because I know you just can’t win them every year. You have to sit there and be patient and wait for your turn – and, like 2007 and 2008, they all come at once.”

Three years ago Harrington became the first European since 1906 to make a successful defence of the Open, then a month later became the first European to win the USPGA Championship since 1930.

Last season, though, the best he did in the majors was 45th at the US Open and missed cuts at the Masters and British Open accelerated his slump down the rankings.

“When you look at Nick Faldo it took him 20-25 years (as a professional) to win six – the most by any European (of modern times).

“I’m not foolish to believe that because I won one in 2007 and two in 2008 I should win three in 2009, or even another one.

“They don’t come around that easy. Even in my era the greatest player since I’ve been a pro – Tiger Woods – has not won one a year. There have been plenty of years he has not won any.

“People have this idea that just because you play well and you win one you should be doing that every year. That’s the hardest thing. It definitely puts a big burden on anybody who wins a major . . . .”

Now 15 months on from his last tournament victory, Harrington still took positives out of last season. “I sorted out a neck injury that plagued me for 10 years, then found something in my mental game and got to the bottom of something in my swing which had been annoying me for five years.

“But the reality is that we are judged by our results – I certainly do when I watch people playing sports – and I have to accept that results last year were poor.”

What he must have found particularly disappointing was that on the PGA Tour in America he went backwards in every final round, whereas in 2008 he had gone forward every time.

With the world’s top four of Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer all deciding not to play – they along with Woods start in Abu Dhabi next week – this week is a golden opportunity for him to stop the slide and start climbing again.

A field restricted to European Tour winners since the start of last season and those with 10 or more titles on the circuit is only 35 strong.

With the Ryder Cup in mind as much as anything else, Harrington desperately wants to be back in the world’s top 64 for next month’s Accenture world matchplay and the top 50 for the Cadillac world championship in Miami two weeks later. A win on Sunday will achieve the first of those, although the cut-off point for Tucson is not for another three weeks.

Defending champion Paul Casey is another absentee, having dislocated his shoulder snowboarding. Harrington does not criticise the world number 20 for taking to the slopes in Colorado.

“Any accident is unfortunate and some people may think ‘why take the risk?’, but if you sat in a hotel room or at home looking at four walls you wouldn’t be a very good golfer. You have to live your life.”

Masters champion Charl Schwartzel is the only player in the game’s top 25 taking part, but also present is British Open champion Darren Clarke, three-major-winner Ernie Els and past and present Ryder Cup captains Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal.

The other Irish interest is Michael Hoey.

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Delaney On Course at La Manga

Tara Delaney carded a third round 74 to finish in share of 36th place and well inside the projected after Tuesdays' round at La Manga in Spain.

England’s Jodi Ewart blew away the rest of the field with a six under par round of 67 in windy conditions on the South Course at La Manga Club in Spain on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old from North Yorkshire fired six birdies to lead the Ladies European Tour’s Final Qualifying School for 2012 by seven strokes with two rounds to play.

Marjet Van der Graaff was on six under par, with Heather Bowie-Young, Stephanie Kirchmayr and Carlota Ciganda four strokes further behind on two under.

Ewart was one of only nine players in the field to break par on a cold and blustery third day in Cartagena, Murcia and she explained: “I felt like I had a little bubble around me today, actually. I’m pretty experienced in the wind.

“We seemed to play a lot in the wind on the Futures Tour and in college. New Mexico is really windy in the spring. Obviously being from England too, I have a lot of experience in the wind and it only really started raining on the last hole.

“They say not to fight it because when you fight it things go wrong and take your medicine when you hit a bad shot or have a bad hole. If you try and fight the wind, the wind is always going to win.”

Ewart, who earned her full card for the LPGA in December, has chosen not to look at any leader boards during the qualifiers. “I’m taking each shot and each hole at a time. I’m really enjoying playing golf out there,” she said.

Teeing off at the 10th, playing into the wind, she was happy to make three pars before collecting her first birdie on the 13th hole. She picked up shots at the 17th and 18th before reeling off three successive birdies from the second.

“My putting actually saved me quite a few times. I didn’t have any bogeys today, so I made some really good par putts and drained a lot of putts from over 15 feet,” she said.

“I had three birdies in a row on the front nine at the second, third and fourth, which was my back nine, because I teed off ten. I would say both two and three were about 15 feet. Four was around six feet. I had 28 putts, 11 fairways and 15 greens.”

Van der Graaff was content with her third round of one under par 72 on the South Course. The 29 year old from Rÿswÿk in Holland said: “I hit it really well and almost every shot was a good hit so that makes it easier.

“I made one bogey and two birdies so I had a solid round and one drop in this weather is pretty good, I think."

She has her friend and fellow LET professional Marieke Nivard on caddie duties this week, while Ewart has chosen not to have a caddie.

Another Dutchwoman, Kyra Van Leeuwen ended the day tied for six on one under par with Clare Queen, Alexandra Villatte and Anais Maggetti, while Maria Beautell shot a four under 69 on the South Course and moved up to tenth place.

First round co-leader Sharmila Nicollet’s 80 saw her slip into a share of 11th on one over par, while fellow first round co-leader Chrisje de Vries was in a share of 14th after a 73.

The 90-hole Final Qualifying School is being played with 36 holes on each of La Manga Club’s North and South courses for the first four rounds with a cut to the leading 50 players and ties after 72 holes. The fifth round will be played on the South Course on Thursday and the top 30 players will earn LET Membership in category 8a.

LET Q School Leaderboard

Clarke Returns to Volvo Action

An eclectic field of blossoming stars and seasoned campaigners is this week preparing to line up in the second edition of the €2million Volvo Golf Champions at its new home, the Links at Fancourt, all hoping to add the €350,000 winner’s cheque and another trophy to the victories that secured them a place in The European Tour’s ‘tournament of champions’.

And while Paul Casey, the winner of the inaugural event held last year at the Royal Golf Club course in Bahrain, is absent due to a snowboarding injury picked up in the winter break, 2011 Major Champions Darren Clarke (The Open Championship) and Charl Schwartzel (Masters Tournament) lead a stellar cast in what promises to be a thrilling contest over the celebrated links layout at Fancourt in George, South Africa.

Clarke and Schwartzel are joined by six other Major winners at this year’s event – Volvo’s 125th title sponsorship in professional golf – including South African native Ernie Els and his compatriot Retief Goosen, who was victorious in the Tour’s only other trip to Fancourt at the South African Open in 2006. 

Els, a three-time Major winner, qualified for the event after winning the South African Open Championship at the start of The 2011 European Tour International Schedule, and the 26-time European Tour winner is hoping to get his 2012 campaign underway in similar vein with victory at the Volvo Golf Champions.

He said: “Obviously I love playing in South Africa and have won five of my European Tour titles there. I have great memories of playing at the Links at Fancourt, both in professional events and when on holiday there, and I’m looking forward to trying to win The European Tour’s first true ‘tournament of champions’.

“South African golf is in great shape at the moment, which is apparent by the number of South Africans in the field. Dr. Hasso Plattner’s vision in creating The Links at Fancourt will provide the perfect stage to showcase the wonderful golf opportunities offered in South Africa.”

Indeed, the host nation is very well represented at this week’s event, as Els and Schwartzel are two of eight South Africans in a field which also includes 2001 and 2004 US Open Champion Goosen, 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen and The European Tour’s most recent champion, 23 year old Branden Grace, who triumphed in last week’s Joburg Open after regaining his card at the Qualifying School in December.

While there is a large presence of experience on show this week in George, including the present and former incumbents of The Ryder Cup Captaincy in José María Olazábal and Colin Montgomerie, the South African crowds will also be treated to appearances by two of the most promising emerging talents in European golf in 18 year old Italian Matteo Manassero and Englishman Tom Lewis, who turned 21 earlier this month.

Manassero has already achieved significant success in his embryonic career, notching wins at the 2010 Castelló Masters – with it becoming the youngest-ever winner on The European Tour – and the 2011 Maybank Malaysian Open, victories that both came before the prodigy’s 18th birthday.

Lewis burst onto the scene after posting the lowest round by an amateur in Open Championship history on the first day at Royal St. Georges in July 2011, before going on to claim a superb victory in only his third appearance as a professional at the Portugal Masters in October.

With such an enthralling blend of youth and experience taking to The Links at Fancourt on Thursday, all with their sights set on capturing yet more silverware, the stage is well-set for the engrossing plot that is sure to unfold over the coming week.

The Volvo Golf Champions is an exclusive, limited field event with no halfway cut, open only to European Tour players who have won an event on the previous year’s European Tour International Schedule, plus the winners of the first two events of the 2012 season - the Africa Open and the Joburg Open – with the only other exception being current Tour Members, under the age of 50, with more than ten European Tour victories.

An unprecedented gathering of global golfing talent will line up at the world-acclaimed Links at Fancourt, recently voted number one course in South Africa and designed by nine-time Major winner Gary Player.