He does not have a trophy to show for the last four weeks, but Sweden's Robert Karlsson could well be the European to watch in next week's US Open.
After three third places in a row, Karlsson finished runner-up in the Wales Open at Celtic Manor on Sunday - and but for a phenomenal performance from Australian Scott Strange he would be the one celebrating a runaway victory.
Strange won his first European Tour title by four strokes, leading from start to finish and posting a superb 22-under-par total on the new course built for the 2010 Ryder Cup.
Karlsson, though, was himself four clear of the chasing pack and with that moved into second spot on the Order of Merit and took another step towards keeping his cup place this September.
Asked if he fancied his chances in the second of the season's majors at Torrey Pines, the 38-year-old, joint eighth at the Masters in April, admitted something else was foremost in his mind.
"First I'm going to rest a few days, that's for sure," he said after a closing 64, which he might have expected to give him at least a play-off.
Instead, though, Strange matched it - and that after beginning the week with an eight-under-par 63.
Karlsson had six successive birdies around the turn, and added: "I saw a leaderboard out of the corner of my eye on hole eight. I thought I was off to a good start and I was five behind. I was like 'what's happening here?'
"It happens sometimes. With (Steve) Webster in Portugal I felt like I won the tournament, but there was someone else playing a different tournament."
Strange, a 31-year-old from Perth, had never finished higher than 10th in an event on European soil before, but he did have two Asian Tour victories to his name and in India in March was runner-up at the co-sanctioned Johnnie Walker Classic.
He is now ninth on the Tour money list and, having been 164th in the world last week, has climbed into the top 80.
Such was the effort needed, however, that Strange, who had a dizzy spell on the course on Saturday and was still not feeling great during the final round, instantly decided to pull out of today's 36-hole US Open qualifier at Walton Heath in Surrey.
"I'll stay the night here and have a couple of drinks," he said.
More than 20 Tour players have withdrawn from the qualifying event, preferring to focus on Europe rather than a trip to California.
Nick Dougherty, himself exempt, declared his surprise at their decision, but Darren Clarke, joint fourth with the Liverpudlian yesterday, explained again why he will not be there.
"I'm disappointed I'm not at the US Open, but Austria this week has been in my schedule and I wouldn't have got to Torrey Pines until next Monday night.
"If you're not properly prepared it's a very difficult week, let alone trying to get over jet-lag and getting proper practice in.
"I've got to try to make sure I'm exempt for the Open and this whole week has been a lot of positives. I'm very close to the way I want to hit the ball."
Paul McGinley and 19-year-old Rory McIlroy, top amateur at last year's Open, were the top attractions at Walton Heath and, with the field down to 45 and around eight spots up for grabs, they will be very disappointed if they do not make it.
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