GOLF: The decision has been made, Padraig Harrington will play in this week's Italian Open in Rome, but, one way or another, the ultimate destination of the Volvo Order of Merit title - awarded to the player who tops the European Tour's moneylist - won't be decided until after next week's Volvo Masters in Valderrama.
Indeed, if Harrington, second in the money race, is to overhaul current leader and defending champion Retief Goosen, who is playing in the US Tour Championship in Atlanta this week, and give himself an edge over the South African going into Valderrama, then he must secure a top-four finish in Olgiata Golf Club in the Italian capital this week. The winner' prize is €183,330 which drops down to €55,000 for fourth place. Harrington trails Goosen by €54,029.
There's no doubt that Harrington missed a big opportunity to leapfrog over Goosen in the moneylist in last weekend's Madrid Open. The Dubliner was a stroke ahead going into the final round but dropped back to finish in tied-seventh, the same mark as Goosen, and four behind champion Steen Tinning of Denmark.
Harrington, though, remained philosophical about the task that lays ahead. "Although my scoring doesn't suggest it, I actually felt better about my swing on Sunday than I did in the first three rounds," insisted Harrington.
"It means I am looking forward to Italy, because I now realise where my bad shots were coming from." Although he has stuck by his decision to play in Italy, which was added to his itinerary after his success in the Dunhill Links earlier this month, Harrington acknowledged that the race to be Europe's number one "was always going to come down to the Volvo Masters."
In Italy, the Irish contingent will also feature Graeme McDowell and David Higgins.
The field for the Volvo Masters has been strengthened by the decision of Bernhard Langer to compete, which means that 1l of the 12-man European Ryder Cup team will be competing. The exception is Jesper Parnevik.
Langer, a winner of 41 titles on the EuropeanTour, returns to Valderrama, the scene of his 1994 success in the Volvo Masters when he established one of the most enduring and awe-inspiring course records in European Tour history, a nine under par 62 on his way to winning by a stroke from Seve Ballesteros and Vijay Singh.
Meanwhile, Peter Lawrie doesn't intend to sit about waiting to enjoy the advantage of a full tour card for next season's European Tour.
The 28-year-old Dubliner - who won the season-ending Challenge Tour Grand Final on Sunday which catapulted him to fourth on the secondary tour's money list and guaranteed him a full card on the regular tour - intends to play in both the Asian Open in Taiwan on November 21st-24th and the Hong Kong Open on November 28th-December 1st.
"The win hasn't really sunk in yet," admitted Lawrie, upon his return home yesterday. "I've been waiting for a round like that (he closed with a 65 to win by four shots) for a long time. But I've been hitting the ball well all season and I've shown great consistency in hitting fairways and greens and that has to pay off.
"I've come on a lot in the past few years and I'd estimate I am probably a better golfer by up to three shots a round, if not more, than I was when I first turned professional," said Lawrie.
"I'm making fewer mistakes and just playing better golf." Winning his card by the Challenge Tour route means Lawrie will be spared a return visit to the dreaded Qualifying School next month and, indeed, this card is better than any that will be on offer at that 108-holes "torture chamber", as it is referred to by the professionals. "I think I will get into almost every event on the tour next season, with the possible exception of the Dunhill Links.
