And from there he will move on to Wentworth for next week’s HSBC World Match Play Championship.

Both throw up the possibility of a duel with Ernie Els, who on Sunday relegated Woods to third on the rankings by winning at Mount Juliet in County Kilkenny.

While Singh is close to having a second successive US money list title in the bag – with five wins in his last six starts and eight in all he has amassed an incredible 9.4million dollars this year and is over three million clear of Phil Mickelson and Els – the South African can retain the European Order of Merit crown this weekend.

He has already broken Lee Westwood’s record with his €3,368,122.10 and leads compatriot Retief Goosen, winner of the title the two previous seasons, by €1,200,000. There is nearly €900,000 on offer to Sunday’s winner.

Goosen is at Wentworth as well, but although the first prize there is €1.5m, the biggest in golf, for Order of Merit purposes it is scaled down to less than half that.

Els has the chance as well this week to overtake Colin Montgomerie and become the biggest money-earner in European Tour history.

With €21.3m since his debut in 1991 he is less than €150,000 behind the Scot, who made his debut in 1987.

Taking the world number one spot is the number one goal, though, and while it could happen at Wentworth that would require Singh giving two poor performances. On recent evidence highly unlikely.

Ten of Europe’s triumphant Ryder Cup team play this week, plus other major winners in Goosen, Rich Beem, Fred Couples, Ben Curtis, Steve Elkington, Paul Lawrie, Sandy Lyle, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ian Woosnam and Adam Scott.

Westwood is the defending champion, having beaten Els by a shot last year after an albatross in his third round at Kingsbarns.

Action takes place over three courses – St Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie - and the celebrities playing in the pro-am include Matthew Pinsent, Sir Steve Redgrave, Ian Botham, Nasser Hussein, Michael Vaughan, Sir Bobby Charlton, Johan Cruyff, Kenny Dalglish, supermodel Jodie Kidd, actors Samuel L Jackson, Michael Douglas and Hugh Grant and former American vice-president Dan Quayle.

The pro-am title is being defended by Sam Torrance and his teenage son Daniel.

While the amateurs will all be trying to have fun, it is a very serious week for former Ryder Cup players Peter Baker and David Gilford. They need the money to keep their European Tour cards, both being in danger of failing to make the top 115 on the Order of Merit and not being in the top 40 career money-winners any more.