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It has become clear that more pressure than ever will be exerted on the continent's top stars to force them to play the flagship event next year.

As work now begins to dig up the controversial greens on West Course there is growing speculation that Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter will be required to compete on the new putting surfaces at next year's .

All three were absent last week; Harrington and Poulter citing the greens as reason not to attend. Garcia, who subjects himself to strict tax rules that limit his British appearances, has not played the Wentworth event since sharing fifth place there in 2000.

But these, as we know, are very difficult economic times and the sponsors that remain are growing in power. Tour chief executive George O'Grady has made it as plain as he can that they are now in no mood to accept second best.

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It should have been the big homecoming for , a chance to show off to the British public his new born son Leo and the golf game that landed Europe's just 18 months ago.

But instead, the likeable Englishman has had to of the PGA Championship at Wentworth with a recurrence of the back injury that has plagued him in recent seasons.

It's a blow to his immediate prospects, but more worrying in the context of his need to reverse a trend that began last year when he followed his Order of Merit-winning campaign by stumbling to 81st in the .

Highlights were few and far between, though he performed with credit at the where he won three out of four points.

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As Ireland celebrates arguably its most extraordinary winner in the country's glorious golfing history, it is time to reflect on how rapidly circumstances change.

No-one knows that more than burly 22-year-old at County Louth.

Having missed out on a 500,000 Euros first prize because of his amateur status, Lowry has to decide whether to cash in now or wait until he has played in the Walker Cup in September.

If he turns pro immediately, the player ranked 16th in the world amateur standings can start making use of his newly acquired two-year European Tour exemption by taking his place in the field for the this week.

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It must have been an intriguing debate in the committee room at the as

Monty will have put forward a persuasive argument for increasing the captain's influence. But from this distance it is difficult to see how it can be justified and the move seems an over-reaction to

Wildcards improve a team. They provide a captain with the opportunity to include someone who has not been able to make it through the other qualification routes.

This may have been through injury, illness or personal circumstances that may have limited a player's opportunity to compete in the qualifying process. But how many Ryder Cup candidates fall into that category?

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There are so many talking points in the wake of Europe's best ever showing at the Players' Championship.

After now ready to win a major? Has Ian Poulter moved to a new level? Is the Englishman right to follow Padraig Harrington's lead and skip Europe's flagship event at Wentworth later this month?

Are we in a new golden era for European golf - or if we throw the net wider over a fascinating golfing weekend, is Argentina the coming nation in the game? Oh and then there's the question of what is going on with Tiger Woods?

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The Players' Championship was showing off its newcomers. The debutants for the event which claims "fifth major" status had been invited into the interview room and the media were let loose on them.

Naturally the biggest knot of hacks tangled around - no longer a teenager but fresh from seeing first hand and still the most likely youngster capable of going the distance here.

But McIlroy was tempering expectations for his Players' debut - seeing this week as the first of four big ones that will see the 20-year-old compete at the Irish Open, the PGA at Wentworth and European Open.

"I need to pace myself," McIlroy admitted before starting to contemplate whether he could get enough golfing mates to chip in to hire a private jet in a couple of weeks. On the eve of the European Open he's thinking of nipping to Rome to watch his beloved Manchester United in the Champions League final.

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