Winning the first prize of almost £350,000 would take Rose nearly £175,000 ahead of Els and, more importantly, close to £325,000 in front of Harrington.

That could prove crucial as Els played his last tournament when he won the World Match Play on Sunday whereas Open champion Harrington – one ahead of Angel Cabrera entering today’s second round of the 36-hole PGA Grand Slam in Bermuda - will be going head-to-head with Rose at the Volvo Masters at Valderrama on November 1-4.

Remarkably, Rose has amassed his £1.55million from just 10 counting events, not finishing worse than 12th in any of them.

Before a first-round defeat to American Hunter Mahan at Wentworth last week, he said: “The Order of Merit is very achievable now.

“I’m certainly moving in the right direction and it’s a great goal which basically presented itself halfway through the season.

“My goals were to play well in the majors and get into the top 20 in the world. I’ve done that, so now I guess it’s to win a tournament and the Order of Merit.

“I’ve had three seconds this year and a piece of silverware would definitely cap a good year for me.”

Argentina’s Andres Romero, Dane Soren Hansen and double US Open Champion Retief Goosen – seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively – still have an outside chance of capturing the Order of Merit, providing they enjoy success on the same course used for the 2005 World Cup.

That event was won by Welsh pair Stephen Dodd and Bradley Dredge after the final round was washed out and they are both back hoping to shine again.

Five members of last year’s Ryder Cup side – Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, David Howell, Paul McGinley and Robert Karlsson – are also in the field, as is Alfred Dunhill Links champion Nick Dougherty and new sensation Rory McIlroy.

The 18-year-old from Northern Ireland has finished third and fourth over the last two weeks in only his second and third professional events, securing his European Tour card for next season and even giving him a chance to qualify for the season-ending Volvo Masters.

He needs to climb into the top 60 on the money list for that, but another third place this weekend could do that for the youngster who only a month ago was playing in the amateur Walker Cup.

McIlroy is currently 95th on the money list – and 245th in the world – and has earnings already of over £185,000, plus a string of lucrative sponsorship deals, have enabled him to buy a detached five-bedroom house.

The tournament has lost one of its big names with Jose Maria Olazabal withdrawing because of severe tendinitis in his shoulder.

“We just don’t know at the moment when he will be back,” said manager Sergio Gomez.

The double Masters champion, who in May agreed to act as an assistant to Nick Faldo at next year’s Ryder Cup if he does not qualify, has not played since the US PGA in August – and only twice since the US Open in June.

It was a problem with his knee that kept him out of action at first and among the events he missed was The Open at Carnoustie.