More merit for Els to cash in

The question is: "How much does the European Tour's Order of Merit mean to the leading players?" Sure, it is something they want on their curriculum vitae, but, compared to a major, it is very much playing second fiddle; and Ernie Els - a two-time winner, in 2003 and 2004 - sums up the reality of a professional's aspirations in respect to the money title (which he leads) with the frank admission that the end-of-season period is more about cashing in on your name.

Els, who won't play again on the European Tour this season, thus leaving the door open for Padraig Harrington or Justin Rose to catch him, has decided to stick by his commitment to play the Singapore Open next month rather than head for the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

"How can I say it? The end of the year, you've got the wheelbarrow out . . . you want to cash in a little bit," said Els, who has signed a three-year deal to play in the Far East. The South African - whose win the World Matchplay Championship lifted him to the top of the European money list, 217,296 ahead of Harrington - said the clash of dates between the Volvo Masters and the tournament in Singapore was "unfortunate" but also wondered how it had "slipped their (the European Tour's) radar".

Els, it must be said, has never been a great supporter of the Volvo Masters and hasn't played in the tournament since 1998 because in previous seasons it has clashed with the Tour Championship on the US Tour.

But the arrival of the FedEx Cup and its corresponding switch in tour schedules stateside meant there was no clash this year, only for the Singapore Open to come into opposition with the European Tour's finale.

He added: "I'm not trying to blame it on anybody. Somehow, it slipped through . . . (but) you know, Singapore is a big week now. They have got some big players going there. They are really spending money to improve the tournament and getting the players there. That's why I am going there."

Els, who hot-legged it to Luton airport on Sunday evening after his matchplay win and made it to Paris in his private jet in time to see South Africa's World Cup semi-final win over Argentina, isn't playing in this week's Portugal Masters, instead using his time to oversee some of the new course design projects in South Africa.

With his European Tour commitments finished for the season, Els observed: "The battle for the Order of Merit is out of my hands now. Obviously I'm in the number one position at the moment, but there are a couple of guys who can overtake me . . . they've got their work cut out, though."

While Els is now in the driving seat in the race to the top the Order of Merit, England's Rose has an opportunity to close the gap at this week's Portugal Masters at the Victoria course.

Harrington, meanwhile, won't get a chance to catch Els until the Volvo Masters, as his playing commitments this week extend to the Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda which starts today. Next week, Harrington - not unlike Els - has decided to cash in on his status as British Open champion by playing in the Hassan Trophy in Morocco, rather than the Mallorca Open.

Harrington's reasoning for playing in Morocco (apart from being influenced by the appearance money) is that he likes to play the week before a big tournament, and the Volvo Masters - where he needs a top-three finish to overtake Els in the money list - comes into that category, especially as he will be seeking back-to-back money titles.

The Portugal Masters, a new ,3 million tournament on the schedule, has attracted a strong field that, apart from Rose's quest to eat into Els's lead, will be important in terms of deciding the players likely to finish in the top-60 and so qualify for the Volvo Masters.

Among those Irish players with work to do in that regard and playing in Portugal are Damien McGrane (68th), Paul McGinley (70th) and Peter Lawrie (78th).

McGinley returns to tournament play having missed the Madrid Open, but the Dubliner intends to play next week's event in Mallorca as well. Graeme McDowell, who is assured of his place in Valderrama, is also playing in Portugal, as are Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke, who has been working on his putting with Paul Hurrian.

McIlroy's run of third and fourth in the Dunhill Links and Madrid Open have guaranteed him a tour card for 2008, and he has risen to 95th in the money list from just three events.

Elsewhere, Colm Moriarty, Michael Hoey, Gareth Maybin and Stephen Browne will be competing in the Toscano Open in Italy on the Challenge Tour.