headliner fabric

zvswgogna

Heavyweight rivals trade pleasantries
Golf is far too civil for that. Goosen and his rival for the European Order of Merit, traded pleasantries instead of punches, though Harrington still stunned the South African with the news that he had decided to play in the Italian Open in Rome next week.
"Eh, you're desperate, aren't you," said Retief, a smile playing on his lips.
Goosen meant no disrespect to the Italian Open but many of the professionals who book plane tickets to the Eternal City at this time of the season travel more in hope of saving their tour credentials than winning Orders of Merit.
For example, the ?1.1m prize fund on offer in Rome is less than half the purse which the true heavyweights of European golf will fight for in the climactic Volvo Masters in Valderrama the following week.
And while Harrington's sights will be on the modest first prize of just over ?180,000 in Italy, Goosen will be vying with the biggest hitters of world golf in Atlanta next week for the whopping $900,000 which goes to the winner of America's annual Tour Championship.
Yet the South African, the winner of last year's Order of Merit, admitted yesterday Harrington might steal a march on him by taking the road to Rome.
Though he has no intention of changing his own travel plans, Goosen conceded that Pdraig could have the Harry Vardon Trophy wrappedup by following a strong performance at the Telefonica Open de Madrid with victory in Italy.
"The Order of Merit obviously is something I'd like to win again but Harrington wants it badly as well, that's why he's playing in Italy next week," he said.
"Clearly, I've got to do well here to give myself a good chance of winning it in Valderrama but if Harrington does well this week and wins in Italy, then it's nearly all over for me."
Currently ?54,000 ahead of Harrington at the top of the money list, Goosen would still have a mathematical chance of hanging onto his European crown even if Pdraig won the top prize of ?233,000 on offer here and then finished well up in Rome after all, the Volvo Masters champion will pocket a cheque for ?539,000.
"I know there's big prize money at the Volvo Masters," added Goosen, "but it all depends on Harrington. If he wins the next two weeks then it would be a problem for me."
Yet he insisted there would be absolutely no hard feelings if the honour ultimately goes to the Irishman. "I'll shake his right hand and say 'well done'. If he wins it, he deserves it and good luck to him."
Goosen certainly isn't waving the white flag. "It's not over yet," said Retief, who is defending champion here this week and is not planning to give up his Open de Madrid title without a fight.
"It's always nice coming back where you've won. At least you know you can play the course. Like the Order of Merit, it definitely is something I would like to win again. I'm looking forward to the week."
Goosen burst out of the shadow of his fellow countryman Ernie Els last year by winning his first major, the US Open, in Southern Hills, and in the 16 months since that breakthrough his career path has risen with his confidence.
On his return from Tulsa, he cemented his position at the top of the European Order of Merit by winning the Scottish Open and then sealed the deal by relieving Harrington of his Open de Madrid title here on Club de Campo's lush, treelined fairways.
A winner of the Johnny Walker Classic in January and the Bay Hill Invitational in April, he also had a couple of impressive second places on the Tiger's tail in both the US Masters and the recent American Express Championship at Mount Juliet.
Along with top place in Europe, Goose currently lies ninth on the 2002 US Money List with $2,471,000 to his credit.
"Whatever happened, I was definitely going to play in the Tour Championship. It's something I've never played in. I've earned the right by doing well in the States so it would be nice to play in the tournament," he said.
While winning a major championship is the ultimate achievement in professional golf, Goosen explained that finishing on top of the pile in Europe last season added further wind to his sails.
"Nothing in golf can top winning a major, but winning the Order of Merit means you are the best player in Europe and, naturally, that's a real boost to your confidence," he said.
Harrington,[url=http://www.xantrex.cc]louis vuitton australia[/url], who stunned Europe by winning the 1996 Spanish Open on this course just 10 tournaments into his professional career, was a comprehensively better player when he claimed the Madrid Open title at Club de Campo in 2000 and is an even more accomplished performer now.
A true contender in every major championship he now plays, winning the Order of Merit would give the 31yearold Irishman just the boost he needs to follow Goosen into the golfing firmament.
The organisers here probably did both men a favour by not drawing them together in tomorrow's opening round Goosen goes out at 1.10pm (local time) with Soren Hansen and Nick Dougherty, while Harrington tees off 10 minutes later with Andrew Coltart and Seve Ballesteros, making his 10th appearance of a nightmarish season in which he has made just one cut.
Yet even if Goosen had been drawn with Harrington, the two men would have been too wrappedup in their own personal effort to worry about the other. The South African was also speaking for his Irish rival when he said: "I can only play my game; do my best and see what happens. You can't really force it out there."
However much either man wants to win in Madrid, subtlety is the surest route to success both off and on the course. Nobody can afford to come out punching in this game.