Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, boosted by recent victories either side of the Atlantic, are now primed to win major titles, according to their manager Andrew Chandler.
Clarke held off the game's best players to win his second World Golf Championship title in Akron, Ohio last month, while Westwood ended a three-year victory drought at the BMW International Open on Sunday.
"I think Darren is in a better position to win a major than he's ever been in before, and the same goes for Lee," former European Tour player Chandler said today.
"The stuff he (Westwood) has learned over the last three years can only have made him an even tougher player. He's really gone through the mill."
Clarke fired a closing three-under-par 67 to clinch the WGC-NEC Invitational at Firestone Country Club, a victory Chandler rates as more impressive than the Tyroneman's first WGC title. "His first win (at the 2000 Accenture World Match Play Championship) was huge, beating (former world number one) David Duval in the semis and (world number one) Tiger Woods in the final," said Chandler.
"But I feel beating the 50 top players in the world in a stroke play event on a tough course (Firestone) set up difficult was a much bigger achievement.
"It's a sign that his game has gone on to a higher level. It's put him back where he wants to be, and everything is in place for him to have a shot at the last couple of tournaments (on the PGA Tour)."
Clarke, 34, climbed four places to 13th in the world rankings following his Firestone success, but believes he can achieve even better things.
"Darren doesn't think he is there yet," said Chandler. "He wants to win a major, and then more majors. He feels that last week is really a stepping stone."
Clarke, who will spend more time competing on the lucrative US Tour next season, followed up his win at Firestone with a ninth place finish at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston over the weekend.