Scene set for Order of Merit battle
The last event of the European Tour season, the Volvo Masters, began at Valderrama today.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and South African Retief Goosen will fight it out for the Order of Merit crown at the Masters.
But for many of the 66 stars in action it is anything but an end to the year.
Tournament favourite Sergio Garcia, who was in Atlanta last week, already feels he has done too much travelling – yet still has events in Singapore, Japan and South Africa to come.
Seven-time number one Colin Montgomerie heads for China next week and also fits in visits to South Africa and America before Christmas – and before he gets down to some serious exercise on his troublesome back.
Welshman Phillip Price is putting in the miles just to try to earn himself a place on the US Tour next season.
On Sunday, he flies to Orlando to compete in a 72-hole qualifier at the interestingly-named Crooked Cat course. “I probably won’t get to see the lay-out before the start on Tuesday. It’s not ideal, but I felt I had to come back for the Volvo Masters – there’s a lot of world ranking points on offer and I need some,” he said.
