The 2000 European Tour season reaches a climax at Valderrama this week with the World Golf Championship - American Express Championship, the final event on both the European and US Tours.
The race to win the Volvo Order of Merit could not be closer with any one of six players still capable of winning the title.
Darren Clarke moved into pole position with his second place finish at Montecastillo with 2,652,664 euro (£1,536,013) while Lee Westwood, lies second with 2,544,695 euro (£1,473,494). Ernie Els, Thomas Björn, Campbell and Colin Montgomerie can all still catch and overtake Clarke with the first prize of 1,160,901 euro (£690,417) available at Valderrama.
World Number One Tiger Woods returns as the defending champion with his sights set on a tenth title of the year to take his season’s earnings past the $10 million mark.. Woods captured the title twelve months ago by rolling in a birdie putt at the first extra-hole of a sudden death play-off to end a thrilling duel with Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez
“I played so well the entire day,” said Woods. “Even the shot I hit on 17 in the water was a good shot. It was a wonderful day. I played well, and I was able to squeak out a victory at the end of a play-off.
Joining Clarke and Woods, the winners of the previous two World Golf Championship events this season, will be a cosmopolitan field including Masters Champion Vijay Singh and incorporating the top players on all five major Tours. A total of 55 players will be in the starting line-up.
