The quest to be Europe's number one hasn't deflected Darren Clarke from another stated target: to raise £1/4 million for the Omagh Memorial Fund. Indeed, Clarke has even gone so far as to tell his faithful caddie Billy Foster that he can have a day off for next Monday's Pro-Am in Portmarnock Links when, along with other participating professionals, he has invited potential "caddies" to pay for the privilege of carrying his bag, with the proceeds going into the fund.
"I just thought it would be a novel way to raise extra money," said Clarke, who instigated the event. "It will give people an insight into how we think on the course, and it will be a rare opportunity for someone to work with a professional."
Clarke has been busy on the golf course - moving to within £6,000 of Lee Westwood in the race to top the European moneylist - but he has also beavered away off the course in securing the presence of top professionals in Portmarnock on Monday, the day following the British Masters at the Forest of Arden. To that end, six members of last year's winning Ryder Cup team in Valderrama have committed to the one-day tournament: Clarke himself, Westwood, Thomas Bjorn, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ignacio Garrido and Ian Woosnam.
Other players who have confirmed they will travel over include Irish Open champion David Carter, Andrew Coltart and David Howell, along with Ireland's regular touring professionals Paul McGinley, Philip Walton, Raymond Burns, Eamonn Darcy, Des Smyth and Christy O'Connor Jnr.
An indication of the support for the initiative is that all 24 teams - at a cost of £5,000 each - were taken up within two days of Clarke announcing the fundraiser on the Friday of the European Open at The K Club. There is no entrance fee for the public, but donations will be collected at the two entrance points, while anyone wishing to pay £500 to caddy for a player should contact Moira Cassidy, director of golf at Portmarnock Links, on 01-846 1800.
Meanwhile, Clarke's bid to become the first Irishman since Ronan Rafferty in 1989 to top the Order of Merit will be taken a step further in the British Masters which starts at the Forest of Arden on Thursday. Clarke's third place finish in the European Masters in Crans has taken his season's earnings to £597,847 (excluding US Tour winnings) compared to Westwood's £603,345, but Clarke intends to miss the Lancome Trophy in Paris next week before playing in the German Masters, the Belgacom Open and the season-ending Volvo Masters.
Westwood, in contrast, will play all the remaining tournaments in an attempt to keep ahead.
Clarke heads a strong Irish presence in the English midlands this week, although some of his compatriots aspire to less elevated targets, with the battle for survival uppermost in some minds. Burns is involved in a real fight to retain his card for next season (he is currently placed 160th in the moneylist) and he badly needs a good performance in the Forest of Arden. He is joined in the field by Padraig Harrington, McGinley, Walton, who won the English Open over this course in 1995 but who has been battling an injury in recent weeks, O'Connor Jnr, who is a former winner of the British Masters, Darcy and Smyth.
David Higgins is in even more dire straits than Burns in his battle to keep his card and he'll be wishing that someone withdraws from the tournament. The Waterville player is currently first reserve and will get a place in the field should anyone pull out. The event is the second counting tournament in Europe's Ryder Cup qualification campaign and Sven Struver, who currently tops that list after his win in the Swiss Alps, is in the field. However, Patrik Sjoland, who lost a play-off to Struver, has decided to take a rest week.
