While 180 aspirants battle for exempt status in the Qualifying School on Spain's Costa del Sol this weekend, European Tour officials are pointing to Padraig Harrington and Scotland's Raymond Russell as exemplary, recent graduates. The choice is prompted by their presence in the World Cup at Kiawah Island.

The current tour bulletin informs us that "Harrington turned professional in time to enter the Qualifying School two years ago. He finished 16th and in his ninth start on the European Tour, he won the Peugeot Open de Espana.

"This year, Harrington enjoyed no fewer that eight top-10 finishes on the European Tour, including runner-up position to Lee Westwood, who came through the 1993 school, in the season-ending Volvo Masters. It enabled him to climb from 11th in 1996 to eighth in 1997 in the Volvo Ranking and in that time, he has earned £674,006 in official money alone."

In fact, Harrington's international tournament earnings for this year amount to £599,030, making him 51st in the world.

The Dubliner is an admirable role model for reasons other than the money he has earned. He invariably handles himself in a thoroughly professional manner: he has the enviable talent of being able to do the right thing - not necessarily the popular option - whatever the circumstance.

This was in evidence right from the start of his professional career when his general attitude, especially a thirst for knowledge, brought rich praise from veteran guru John Jacobs during the tour's annual training week in Spain in January 1996.

There are numerous other examples, including an incident that occurred during the World Cup at Erinvale, Capetown, 12 months ago. On my first day there, I sought out himself and Darren Clarke as Ireland's representatives. They were in the clubhouse.

With much to learn about a strange venue, Harrington stood by impatiently until I had finished talking to Clarke. He then came forward and said: "I presume you will want to talk to me." On being told that yes, I would like to talk to him, he promptly suggested: "Well, can we do it now so that I can be free to do some practice."

It wasn't rude or presumptuous. In fact it was fascinating for his determination to make time for his own needs, while discharging his obligations to the media. Just the sort of thing one would expect from a polished professional.

"Two down and in the water off the tee at the 17th, I was about to shake his hand." - Colin Montgomerie this week recalling his last experience of Kiawah Island in the 1991 Ryder Cup, when he won the short 17th against Mark Calcavecchia with a double-bogey five. The American found the water twice.

In his latest address to the American public, David Feherty has been telling the readers of Golf magazine about life on the Irish pro-am circuit. That was during the late 1970s, when "on many occasions, first prize was less than $100 and the amateurs were die-hard golf idiots who dressed like the crew of a Norwegian prawn trawler".

"I once witnessed one of my partners in the days when penalty drops were taken over the shoulder, drop his ball into the hood of an anorak. It took him five minutes to find it. The rest of us couldn't resist the opportunity to help him look, all the time paralysed with laughter.

" `Damned if I know where it went, Frank. It must have got a hell of a bounce'." Ah, those days of innocence.

In the recent Sarazen World Open at Chateau Elan, PJ Cowan equalled the best of the day with a final round of 67 for a share of 21st place. Which happened to be a stroke ahead of Padraig Harrington and two clear of Paul McGinley.

So what? Here's what. According to John O'Grady of Thurles GC, Cowan is as near as dammit to being Irish. Indeed he prepared for the Sarazen by spending a fortnight's holiday in Tipperary and carded 65 on his first visit to Thurles.

O'Grady informs me: "He is the son of Pat Cowan of Long Island and a nephew of former Tipperary hurler Michael Cowan of Borrisoleigh. And his mother is the former Patsy Crowley from Inishshannon, between Cork and Bandon. So, by any standard he's Irish enough to deserve some attention." Quite so.

During his visit to Thurles, Cowan, who lives in Florida, played a fourball with O'Grady, his uncle Mick and local member John McCormack, who was in the triumphant Pierce Purcell Shield team at Dundalk two months ago. "A powerful player with a very skilful short-game: very impressive," enthused O'Grady. We will watch his US progress with interest.

America's golfing fraternity have a commendable sense of honesty and order - as I have discovered to my benefit, when twice losing a pair of glasses over here. The first occasion was during the 1991 US Open at Hazeltine, where they popped out of a shirt pocket somewhere out on the course.

With no great hope of success, I reported the matter to tournament officials who suggested I try the lost property tent. I did this later in the day and was pleasantly surprised to come upon the errant specs among a pile that had been handed in. It seems they were found in the rough beside the seventh fairway.

Earlier this week, I delivered a repeat performance at Kiawah Island. While taking a lift in a golf buggy from the media centre to the clubhouse and back again, I was alerted by the driver to a pair of glasses lying in sand at the side of the cart path. Without even bothering to look, I suggested they must have been discarded as rubbish.

Later that evening, however, came the painful discovery that my number two specs were missing. So it was that the following morning, with the contrived grin of a diner who has just dropped a breadroll into the cream of tomato, I told the buggy driver of my plight.

Off once more to lost property and yes, the specs had been handed in. And the curious thing was that I never doubted it.

Details have yet to be released, but it is already being hailed over here as a can't-miss television extravaganza for Christmas Day. And since the subject is golf, it naturally features Tiger Woods, the most talked-of player of the year.

In a made-for-TV match, it seems that Woods is playing against his buddies, Kevin Costner, Michael Jordan and Ken Griffey Jnr. Some reports have it that Woods plays their best ball while others suggest that the so-called Phenom takes a club out of his bag (not the putter) every time he loses a hole.

One thing is certain: if the dollars make sense, the Americans will find a way of getting the package right.

This day in golf history . . . . . On November 22nd, 1911, Ralph Guldahl was born in Dallas, Texas. And 60 years ago, in his only Ryder Cup appearance, he gained the distinction of crushing Alf Padgham by 8 and 7 in the top singles at Southport and Ainsdale.

After finishing second in the US Open in 1933, Guldahl's game suddenly fell apart, to the extent that his tournament earnings for 1935 plummeted to a paltry $54. This forced him into odd-jobs as an assistant carpenter in Hollywood studios. Adjustments to his swing and putting stroke, however, encouraged him to return to tournament action, leading to back-to-back US Open victories in 1937 and 1938 and a Masters win in 1939.

Guldahl's distinctively unorthodox style, involved the right hand sliding down the grip as he completed the backswing. When settled, we are told that he "drew back the clubhead with explosive speed and struck the ball with what looked like an uppercut; but his concentration was tremendous and he never putted until he out-stared the hole".

Teaser: A, unable to find his ball after a two-minute search, suggests to B, his opponent, that they move on to the next hole. A's ball is then found. A withdraws his suggestion to move on to the next hole and play is resumed. Before A plays his ball, B plays a stroke with a wrong ball. What is the ruling? Answer: A's suggestion amounted to a concession of the hole and B won the hole. Concession of a hole may not be withdrawn (Rule 2-4). B's actions after A's concession could not deprive him of a hole already won.