If the quintet of Irish players competing in this week's Volvo China Open were looking for inspiration, then they'd need to look no further than last year's winner Stephen Dodds.

Since he flew to Shanghai a year ago ranked 229th in the world and without a tournament win, Dodds, who on Sunday partnered Bradley Dredge to glory for Wales in the World Cup, has risen to 77th in the rankings, and claimed three big titles.

That China Open win was followed by success in May in the Irish Open, in which he beat David Howell in a play-off, and has been capped by partnering Dredge to victory in Portugal.

For a player who required no fewer than 10 visits to the tour's qualifying school, it represents a serious transformation.

So, while Dredge has decided to put his feet up and set into a two-month break, Dodd this week goes in pursuit of yet more honours by seeking to defend what was his maiden title and the catalyst for his turnaround.

"Things have definitely changed in the last year," agreed Dodd after his win on Sunday, a success that has made him determined to make Europe's Ryder Cup team for the match at the K Club next September. "The reasons why, I am not sure, but I must be doing something slightly different."

Most of it, he thinks, is probably mind rather than technique. Dodd has been working hard on the mental side of the game with John Pates, the sports psychologist who last week was given a three-month European Tour ban for fighting with Dredge's former caddie.

Dodd's immediate task is to defend the China Open, which starts on Thursday, where his adversaries include five Irishmen seeking to grab some early momentum in the 2006 season.

Peter Lawrie, who missed the cut in the Phoenix Dunlop tournament in Japan at the weekend, Damien McGrane, Gary Murphy, Michael Hoey and David Higgins are entered for the tournament which has €184,533 on offer to the winner.

For Hoey and Higgins, who won their full tour cards via the Challenge Tour last season, this event marks their first appearance under the Team Irish Life banner. The life assurance company yesterday gave the fledgling professionals a major boost when it announced its sponsorship of six of Ireland's up-and-coming players: Hoey, Higgins and Stephen Browne on the main tour, and Justin Kehoe, Tim Rice and Colm Moriarty on the Challenge Tour. The sponsorship deal is valued at €500,000 over three years.

In announcing the sponsorship deal with the player's management group, Horizon Sports, Donal Casey, the chief executive of Irish Life Corporate Business, said: "We believe this sponsorship builds on Irish Life's strong record in Irish golf, and we are delighted to carry on this association in supporting the next generation of up-and-coming Irish golfers at a time in their careers when they most need it."

Irish Life previously sponsored Padraig Harrington.

Harrington and Paul McGinley had a disappointing World Cup campaign, eventually finishing in tied-12th. It was their ninth successive time to play in the championship as a partnership and it will be interesting to see if they can continue that sequence through to next year's World Cup in December - the venue is yet to be announced, but may be in the Caribbean - as the team will be determined by whichever Irishman is highest ranked in the world.

Harrington, at 14th, remains the leading Irish player in the world rankings, with Darren Clarke at 19th and McGinley at 20th. Graeme McDowell, who has decided to rest for the winter at his new home in Orlando, has moved back to 50th position.

Harrington and McGinley know their World Cup partnership can not go on in perpetuity. On the eve of last week's event, McGinley remarked: "Darren (Clarke) and Graeme McDowell are obviously very close to making the team as well, too. Graeme, I passed him (in the rankings) this year, and Darren weren't going to play. Fortunately Darren stepped aside, he knows we like playing together and it means a lot to us, so he's happy to step aside so we can play." But it might not always be so, and the qualifying rules entitle whomever is highest ranked in the world to chose his playing partner.

McDowell has decided not to play again this year and, instead, intends to work with his coach, Adam Griffin, his short game coach, Stan Utley, and psychologist Karl Morris for 2006 when he will have cards on both the US Tour and the European Tour.

McGinley, meanwhile, was yesterday announced as the winner of the RBS Shot of the Month for October for his 112-yard wedge to the 17th at Valderrama on the way to winning the Volvo Masters.

"Everyone who knows Valderrama is aware of the danger lurking around the 17th green. My distance control had to be absolutely spot on. I couldn't afford to be short and spin back into the water, or too long and have an impossible downhill fourth shot.

"Fortunately, I got it exactly right and felt very relieved to see the ball close to the hole," said McGinley, who donated his prize to CLIC, a British-based children's cancer charity promoted by his friend Eddie Jordan.