Darren Clarke hopes that history will repeat itself, but have a different ending when the Linde German Masters is completed at the Motzener See club this weekend. Clarke won this title 12 months ago when a closing round of 63, which included an eagle two and eight birdies, helped to relegate Montgomerie to third place, but could not stop the Scot clinching the Volvo ranking for the fourth successive year.

The Ulsterman's consolation was that although his own Order of Merit hopes had been dashed, his victory laid the foundation for Ryder Cup qualification and subsequent glory at Valderrama last week.

Now Clarke and Montgomerie are once again duelling for the Vardon Trophy at the Berlin country club course where the European number one has arrived with a lead over the Irishman of £81,166 Sterling. German star Bernhard Langer lies third in the money list, just £5763 behind.

"I am very tired mentally and physically after the Ryder Cup," said Clarke yesterday after finishing second in the shotgun pro-am to fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington. "But I have not given up and I will be trying very hard to give Colin a run for his money."

Clarke says he has not yet decided on whether to take up his chance to join the US Tour next season. But Montgomerie seems to be moving closer to turning his back on Europe. Like Clarke he has another month before he needs to make a final decision but said yesterday: "It was a shock to the European Tour when Nick Faldo left, but the Tour survived. Now I hope that our Ryder Cup win will be a big bonus to the circuit."

Montgomerie added "It has been an on-going debate for a few years whether I should go to the USA. I am talking to my wife all the time about it, but whichever Tour I decide to play, I will play it properly. No one has ever succeeded in doing both at the same time."

He pointed to the experience of Ernie Els this season, who in June prevented Montgomerie from winning his first major title, with his last gasp win in the US Open at the Congressional Club.

"He has not been able to manage both Tours because all that criss-crossing the Atlantic takes a very heavy toll," he said. "You must pace yourself. But if I make it five in a row in Europe, it will be the end of this."

Nine of the victorious European team at Valderrama, as well as captain Seve Ballesteros are contesting a title worth £125,000. Americans Tom Lehman and Phil Mickelson, and Steve Jones, the 1996 US Open champion who did not make the side in Spain, will also be among the favourites. The three European heroes who have not journeyed to Germany are Ian Woosnam, Jesper Parnevik, and Faldo.

There are also some important subsidiary issues at stake, notably the final composition of the top 15 in the Volvo ranking which carries exempt status into three of the four majors, and has an important bearing on US Masters invitations.

Harrington, who narrowly failed to qualify for the European side, returns after a three-week rest, and judging by his experience yesterday, wonders whether all the practice he put in was worth the effort. Harrington's team won the pro-am with a 20-under-par total of 52, but the professional took very little credit.

"I was only a couple under par, they did everything by going out in 27 and coming back in 25," he remarked. "I was hitting the ball sideways, and my timing was all over the place. I spent three weeks hitting shots on the range, and not worrying about trying to score, so I am not sure what will happen in the first round."

Harrington is 15th in the money list, so needs a good finish here, in what will be a crowded end of season programme. He is playing in the Irish PGA Championship next week, has the Dunhill Cup, Sarazen World Open and World Cup on his schedule, as well as the Volvo Masters. He may be forced to add the OKI Pro-am in Madrid, the penultimate order of merit event, to his list if he does not consolidate his ranking this week.

Ronan Rafferty, Eamonn Darcy, Des Smyth, Raymond Burns, Philip Walton, and Paul McGinley also go in search of ranking improvement on a course that has been considerably toughened since last year. The fairways are much narrower, and the rough has been allowed to flourish around the greens, just the sort of demanding test that Montgomerie relishes.