THE RACE to be Europe's Order of Merit winner this season is down to five players: Robert Karlsson, Pádraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Henrik Stenson.
Karlsson is in the driving seat after following back-to-back wins with a third place finish at the Portugal Masters. But he is not playing in Spain this week and so the issue will not be decided until the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama starting on Thursday week.
If Harrington wins there Stenson will have to finish second to take the money list title, and if Harrington is second Karlsson needs to be fifth or better.
If Westwood wins Karlsson will require second or third place, while if Jimenez wins Karlsson will have to finish in the top 35.
Stenson is the only one of the quintet playing in Castellon and should he win the final two events Karlsson will need seventh spot at Valderrama to keep the top spot.
Five in the hunt
1 R Karlsson (Swe) €2,695,248
2 P Harrington (Ire) €2,397,823
3 L Westwood (Eng) €2,228,642
4 MA Jiménez (Spa) €2,018,596
5 H Stenson (Swe) €1,773,617
CHALLENGE TOUR:Taco Remkes of The Netherlands became the first Challenge Tour player this season to claim three titles when he secured a dramatic play-off victory over Finland's Roope Kakko at the inaugural Platinum Open.
Having reached the turn in one under par after a birdie at the seventh hole, and with most of his nearest rivals struggling to acclimatise to the cool conditions at Margara Golf Club in Italy, Remkes seemed to be cruising to victory.
But the Dutchman's lead soon disappeared after three successive bogeys from the 15th hole coincided with a resurgence from Kakko, meaning the Finn held a one-shot advantage coming down the last.
Remkes holed his putt for birdie and Kakko's slid by, and the duo returned to the 18th tee for a play-off having finished level on 18 under par 270.
At the first extra hole Remkes again made a birdie from around eight feet after his playing partner had found a greenside bunker, and the title belonged to the Dutchman.
Colm Moriarty finished on eight-under-par 280 after a final round 71, Gareth Maybin also shot 71 for 282 with Gareth Shaw on 286 after a 77.
AMATEUR:Ireland failed in their bid to complete a clean sweep of titles in Adelaide when they came a disappointing 22nd in the World Amateur Team Championship for the coveted Eisenhower Trophy.
They had gone into the tournament with high hopes having clinched back-to-back European titles and captured the Home International crown, but Jonathan Caldwell, Paul Cutler and Shane Lowry did not perform to their potential.
But despite not returning from Down Under with silverware, captain Michael Burns was not downbeat at the finish and looked back at what has been a wonderful year.
"I am very happy with the year we've had and I am delighted to end my captaincy after such a year. There are no excuses this week. We did not play anywhere near our best and I believe that the home internationals at Muirfield took a lot out of us."
Ireland finished the 72-hole aggregate with a 291 total - 11 over par - some 31 strokes behind runaway champions Scotland. They won by nine strokes from America, with Sweden third.
Yesterday Walker cup man Caldwell was the best of the Irish taking three-over-par 76 while Shane Lowry had the other counting card, a 79. Paul Cutler could do no better than 80.
Caldwell and Lowry will be seeking their European Tour cards and plan to take the plunge into the paid ranks.
