We've been here before with Pádraig Harrington and, heading into the season-ending 4 million Volvo Masters, there is a definite sense of déjà vu about his quest to claim back-to-back European Tour money titles on an angelic looking, pristine course that, nevertheless, has the capacity to inflict a ferocious bite on those that dare to take it for granted.

Not that Harrington would ever take Valderrama for granted. Nor, for that matter, would Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson or Niclas Fasth, the other players with a mathematical chance of overhauling Ernie Els, the current leader of the Order of Merit who has bypassed the season's finale in favour of the Singapore Open on the Asian Tour.

This is the third time Harrington has arrived at this shindig like a bloodhound with the scent of topping the money list. In 2002, he was hot on the heels of Retief Goosen but fell flat on his face, incurring a two-stroke penalty on the very first hole when mistakenly repairing a pitch mark he thought was on the green. It wasn't. And that indiscretion set the trend for a challenge that simply never got off the ground. "I failed miserably," he recalled.

Last year, chasing Paul Casey, Harrington got it right; even if he needed assistance. Ironically, given what transpired at Carnoustie in the summer, Sergio Garcia emerged as the principal aider and abetter when the Spaniard bogeyed the 72nd hole which meant Harrington finished tied-second behind Jeev Milka Singh and enabled the Dubliner to earn sufficient money to leapfrog Casey on the money list and claim the Harry Vardon trophy for a first time.

Although Els is an absentee from this week's event - where the four players immediately behind him in the money list could yet overhaul him - it has emerged Harrington, too, was approached to play in the Singapore Open and went so far as to sign a contract.

However, Harrington inserted an opt-out clause to allow him play here should he be in contention to retain his Order of Merit title and so here he is. "A contract was in place to go to play in Singapore . . . but we were very aware throughout the year that, as the defending Order of Merit champion, that if I was in contention, I would want to win it again. Pat O'Riordan (an Atlanta businessman originally from Cork) who runs the event (in Singapore) is a friend of mine so, yeah, we talked. I'd love to be supporting him . . . but right from the word go, my place was really going to be here. Even though we talked, we were 99 per cent sure it wasn't going to happen. You can't be in two places at once."

While Els's absence from Valderrama has come in for some strong criticism, most notably from Colin Montgomerie who said it should be "a priority" for those who qualify to play, Harrington was more understanding of the South African's stance. "Ernie's done his thing and that's the way it goes . . . it's not like he's played here every year," observed Harrington.

In fact, Els has only twice played in the Volvo Masters, most recently in 1998. Would Els's absence take anything away from the achievement should he go on to win? "From me winning? No, not at all. It doesn't bother me that Ernie is not here. It's to my advantage, so I'm happy with that."

As far as Harrington is concerned, his primary task this week is to contend for the tournament rather than keeping an eye on the alternative target of retaining the money title. "It is very hard to go in to any tournament and finish in the top three on demand. It's difficult especially to come to a golf course here that I have traditionally found difficult . . . but I did it last year, so I feel positive about the challenge. I know I have to be patient and very accepting during the week and I look on it as getting myself into a position to win the tournament with nine holes to go (on Sunday) and, if I can do that, who knows what will happen?"

One of four Irish players in the confined 55-man field - along with Graeme McDowell, who qualified, and Paul McGinley and Ronan Rafferty, who received invites as past champions - Harrington enjoyed his best finish at Valderrama a year ago when finishing tied-second behind Singh. Why has it caused him problems in the past? "It really is a golf course for guys who hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens. It's a more constrained course (than most), not free-flowing, where you've got to stay very patient."