THE GUARD, it would seem, has well and truly changed. If the World Cup win by Pádraig Harrington and Paul McGinley – at Kiawah Island in 1997 – effectively kick-started Ireland’s golden era in the sport, leading as it did to a situation where four Irish players have since reached the status of Major champions, then their role as distant observers this week as the iconic team event returns to Mission Hills in China indicates how the baton has been passed on.

As Rory McIlroy – given a reception akin to that afforded a pop idol on his arrival in Hainan last evening, greeted by flashing cameras and a Hawaiian garland around his neck – and Graeme McDowell, runners-up to Italian brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari on its last staging two years ago, team-up to represent Ireland in the 24-team World Cup, Dubliners Harrington and McGinley face into uncertain winters.

Harrington, after his third-place finish in the Johor Open in Malaysia, has a week’s break at home before returning to Asia for next week’s Hong Kong Open which will give him a last-gasp chance to gatecrash his way into the season-ending Dubai World Championship, the culmination to the European Tour’s Order of Merit.

Currently in 65th position in the money list – €36,257 behind Stephen Gallacher, who currently occupies the 60th and final position in the qualifying race for the season’s finale – Harrington at least has destiny in his own hands as he plays in Hong Kong, where he won in 2003.

He goes there knowing he needs to leapfrog five players to earn a ticket into the season-ending money fest. He faced a similar situation earlier in the season in the FedEx Cup series in the States, and managed to get into the play-offs.

For McGinley, though, his season’s work is already over and he will be forced to rely on sponsor’s invites to play in tournaments next season.

Forced to withdraw from the Johor Open last week due to a recurrence of his knee injury, McGinley at least had some good news on returning to London where his surgeon, Dr Andrew Unwin, informed him that a planned operation on his knee wouldn’t be required and that regenerative treatment should be sufficient to regain fitness.

“I’ve had six operations already on my left knee but this next operation was going to be the second one on my right knee. It was supposed to clean out some debris in and around the knee cap . . . an operation would have kept me out of competition until the end of January. But, if all goes well, I could be back playing sooner than later,” said McGinley.

Having played this season using his career top-40 money exemption, McGinley – who is seen as a future Ryder Cup captain – will have to call on sponsor’s invites to map out his 2012 schedule after failing to claim a full tour card. He is currently 148th in the money list, but his aborted appearance in Malaysia brought his playing itinerary for a disappointing season, the highlight of which was captaining the Britain and Ireland team in the Seve Trophy, to an end. In 24 events this year, McGinley missed the cut in 12 and was forced to withdraw through injury on two other occasions.

Ireland’s younger golfing guns have no such woes. McIlroy, fresh from a two-week break in Dubai, returns to competition at the World Cup for the start of a four-week run when he will seek to close out a memorable year in some style.

McIlroy and McDowell finished runners-up to the Molinari brothers at Mission Hills two years ago and are pre-tournament favourites. McDowell struggled on the greens in the Dunlop Phoenix Open in Japan over the weekend but arrived in China citing that his “ball striking and short game are right there”.

There is one late change to the team line-ups for the World Cup, which is now run biennially. Thomas Bjorn – a three-time winner on tour this season – was forced out with the recurrence of a neck injury. His place on the Danish team has been taken by Thorbjorn Olesen, who partners Anders Hansen.

Whilst McIlroy and McDowell will be seeking to claim World Cup glory to add to their respective Major titles, fellow northerner Gareth Maybin will seek to secure his full tour card when he competes in the South African Open.

Maybin is currently 118th in the order of merit with just two events left (the South African Open and next week’s Hong Kong Open) to nail down his full playing rights for next year. The top 115 on the money list get full cards.

Shane Lowry’s third-place finish in the Dunlop Phoenix Open has moved the Offaly man up 26 places to 137th in the latest world rankings.