The glorious setting of Club de Golf Valderrama in Spain is poised to witness another spectacular climax to The European Tour season, as Michael Campbell and Colin Montgomerie go head to head for the coveted Order of Merit title at the Volvo Masters.
A revitalised Montgomerie arrives on the Costa del Sol seeking his eighth Order of Merit title - and his first since 1999 - after a wonderful season that has seen him win the dunhill links championship, finish second to Tiger Woods in The Open Championship, both at St Andrews, and register ten other finishes inside the top ten.
Campbell, meanwhile, missed the cut in his first five tournaments on The 2005 European Tour International Schedule before turning that form, and his world, upside down in dramatic fashion by holding off Woods to capture the US Open Championship at Pinehurst No.2 in June.
This catapulted the 36 year old New Zealander into the top echelons of the game as a Major winner and he rode that wave of confidence to finish tied fifth at The Open Championship, tied sixth at the US PGA Championship and winner of the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth Club, after defeating Ireland's Paul McGinley 2 and 1 in the 36-hole final.
Campbell, chasing his first Harry Vardon Trophy, trails Montgomerie by €153,486.70 going into the final event of the season.
As an added incentive, if Montgomerie wins the Volvo Masters he would become the first player to pass the €20 million mark in Official Career Earnings, while Campbell has the chance to become only the 12th player in the exclusive €10 million club.
Valderrama has been the stage for many thrilling contests since 1988, when Nick Faldo captured the inaugural Volvo Masters, and, coincidentally, two of the closest have involved Montgomerie.
The 42 year old Scot finished runner-up, just ahead of Sam Torrance in the 1995 tournament, which was enough to secure him the third of his seven consecutive Order of Merit titles, while seven years later he shared the winner's trophy with Bernhard Langer when darkness brought an early end to their sudden-death play-off.
Such exciting, high quality golf has helped to make the Volvo Masters one of the most prestigious titles on The European Tour International Schedule and this year's event will feature 55 of the leading 60 players on the Order of Merit.
In addition to Montgomerie, the field contains six other former winners - Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke (1998), Swede Pierre Fulke (2000), Padraig Harrington of Ireland (2001), Spain’s Miguel Angel Jiménez (1999) and Englishmen Ian Poulter (2004) and Lee Westwood (1997).
A number of sub-plots will also be running throughout an intrigiung week. Those who finish in the top 15 in the Order of Merit will qualify for the 2006 US Open Championship while a top 20 place guarantees entry into The 2006 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool next July.
And while Campbell and Montgomerie go head-to-head at the top of the order, lower down a similar tussle is going on between Swede Peter Gustafsson, England’s Richard Finch and Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano as they jostle for the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award. All of which adds up to another thrilling conclusion to The European Tour International Schedule.
