Lee Westwood, three times a winner on the European Tour this year, urgently needs a fourth victory at the Belgacom Open in KnokkeLe-Zoute this week to keep in the race to be number one in Europe.

Westwood, who led the Order of Merit for four months until Montgomerie overtook him at the German Masters last week, is now £112,000 behind the burly Scot with just this week and the Volvo Masters at Montecastillo, at the end of the month, to complete the Tour schedule.

Montgomerie, European number one for the past five years, is resting this week, but with only a first prize of £66,660 on offer at the Belgacom Open, Westwood, even if he won the tournament, would still be £45,000 behind his rival.

But as he said today: "Monty's withdrawal is good news for me. It obviously means he can't get any further away and a good week for me and I'll be within reasonable striking distance."

Westwood won the Volvo Masters last year and says: "If I win this week and retain my title in Montecastillo I'm European number one no matter what Monty does. It's going to be difficult but it's possible.

"But I'm only 25 years old and hopefully I'll have few more chances to win it yet. If I don't do it this year I won't be too disappointed."

Darren Clarke, who is lying third in the European money list, just over £31,000 behind Westwood, formally withdrew from the Belgacom Open yesterday even though he had sent on his clubs beforehand.

Clarke has been frustrated recently by playing superbly from tee to green and then not taking many of the chances offered by his fine approach play.

Last week he finished joint 21st at the German Masters and says he has not come to Belgium because he wants to concentrate on the Dunhill Cup at St Andrews and the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth during the next two weeks.

Said Clarke yesterday, while relaxing at home with his wife, Heather, and new son, Tyrone: "I'll be trying to win the Volvo Masters title, but as a tournament win and not a means to an end. If I win it and still don't become number one, so be it. I can't do anything about Lee and Monty."

He decided to withdraw this week after a heart-to-heart with his manager, Andrew Chandler, who had seen first-hand his charge beginning to disintegrate last week: "I was in danger of losing everything I've worked so hard on all season, right at a vital time with the Dunhill Cup coming up and playing for Ireland.

"St Andrews, and then the World Matchplay, and there are still five big events to come before the end of the season. I just didn't want to let the good attitude I've built up all suddenly crumble apart.

"It really started to go last week. My putting was letting me down and mistakes were creeping in. There was a real chance that I could ruin the end of my season if I'd carried on this week. If I'd missed a six-footer for par in the first two or three holes I'd have been wondering just what am I doing here?

"Now I can just turn into hermit and stay around the house with Tyrone and Heather and relax. Then I can go to St Andrews recharged, hopefully with the frustration gone. My two fellow team members deserve nothing less than that and I want to be at my best playing for Ireland. Another frustrating week and I don't think I would have been."

His two fellow team members at St Andrews are warming up here, Paul McGinley alongside JoseMaria Olazabal today and Padraig Harrington with Westwood. McGinley expects to get a real warm-up, too, saying: "It's a fantastic course and perfect practice for St Andrews, linksy and with all the sort of shots we're going to need next week."

At the other end of the scale, Raymond Burns fights for his card this week for the last time, with at least £36,000 needed - second place at least - for him to avoid tour school. Philip Walton and Des Smyth complete the Irish line-up.

Like Burns, Gary Nicklaus is looking for a strong finish - top seven - this week to retain his playing privileges.

After finishing joint 11th last week, his best finish on the European Tour, Nicklaus missed out on an automatic start this week in Belgian, awarded to top-10 finishers the week before.

But the son of Jack Nicklaus applied for, and got, a late invitation to the event for his last chance to retain a tour card for 1999.

Nicklaus (29), lies 126th on the rankings with £42,064 banked, with around £53,000 the likely watershed. "I was very disappointed to just miss out by one spot on automatic qualification for a start this week," said Nicklaus. "But I was very grateful to the Belgacom promoters for giving me a late invitation.

"I'm not absolutely sure what I need to keep the card, but I guess around seventh place will do it, so that's got to be my aim."