Major test as world’s new elite tee-off at Wentworth

And one of the Yorkshire quartet who tees off at Wentworth today against such stellar opponents feels the continental game is only going to get stronger.

“This dominance is not a flash in the pan,” says Hull’s Richard Finch. “The current rankings reflect the new world order.

“European golf has been bubbling under the surface for the past five or six years but the world No 1 spot has been locked out by Tiger Woods.

“Now we’ve got five of the top seven in the world and they’re all here at Wentworth.

“There has been a lot of promise around European golf for the last few years and these guys are now fulfilling that promise.

“Once one does well, the rest feed off it. It’s encouraging for the whole tour and all of us out here.”

The European Tour’s flagship event has in past years struggled to attract the game’s top players. But with the majority of the world’s best hailing from this continent, who needs American superstars to sell tickets?

Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer are the biggest draws in golf right now as their battle for the world No 1 spot continues this week on the fabled West Course.

With Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel adding to the major elite, and Rory McIlroy and Paul Casey swelling the ranks of representatives from the world’s top 10, it is a European major in all but name.

Joining Finch in an attempt to spoil the party for the game’s top players this week are fellow Yorkshiremen Simon Dyson, Danny Willett and John Parry.

The four of them are striving for the greater consistency in their game that could elevate them into that top bracket of European players.

“It’s great to be playing alongside these players,” said Finch, 33, who has recorded two top-10 finishes this season and is on the fringes of the top 60 in the Race to Dubai.

“The European Tour is a worldwide tour nowadays and it’s great that Wentworth has such a good cast.

“For the top guys, a course like Wentworth, where par is going to be a good score, is good preparation for the challenges they are going to face next month at the US Open.”

A glance down the roll of honour at the PGA over the last decade would suggest the Yorkshire outsiders have a good chance.

Only Casey, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Angel Cabrera stand out as serial winners of big tournaments to have added the PGA to their cv.

Simon Khan’s win last year was only the second of his career while the likes of Scott Drummond and Andrew Oldcorn have also prevailed over a course that is getting more testing by the year.

Only 12 players broke par last year – Willett among them after leading on day one and finishing fifth – and with further changes made on the eighth and 18th, Finch is predicting more high scores.

“The two changes they’ve made are designed to make it more player friendly but, as always, it’s a tough test,” said Finch, who has made the cut only once in six visits.

“If you don’t hit good shots on this course, you get punished. On some courses you can hit moderate shots and get away with it – not at Wentworth.

“The fairway bunkers are so deep there’s no way you’re getting to the green with your next shot.”

Sheffield’s Willett, 23, returns to the scene of one of his best performances in his three years on the Tour nursing the recurrence of a back injury that sidelined him towards the end of last year.

Willett, who will make his Open debut in July, finished three shots behind Khan after contending all week and said: “Wentworth holds great memories for me from last year. I’m confident my game is in even better shape to have another go at it this time.

“I’ve had a slight recurrence of my back problem and took last week off just to take it easy with so many big events coming up.”

Harrogate’s Parry makes his debut in the Tour’s top event.

The 24-year-old former Walker Cup partner of Willett evaluated the feeling of importance of the tournament when he said this week: “I’ve never played here before but having watched the event last year, it’s the best outside a major that I’ve been to.”

Malton’s Dyson, 33, is the highest-ranked Yorkshireman on the Tour this season, in 53rd, and has twice finished in the top 20 at the PGA.

All four county golfers are set to head to Walton Heath on Monday for the 36-hole US Open qualifier, although Finch’s participation in that depends on how well he fares at Wentworth.

Nick Westby reports from Wentworth in tomorrow’s Yorkshire Post.