TIGER Woods and Ernie Els, winners of the opening two events on the 1998 European Tour, won't be at The Oxfordshire this week, but the cream of Europe's leading golfers will.

There have been eight different names on Tour trophies since the turn of the year and if last year's list of winners is anything to judge then Denmark's Thomas Bjorn should be the one to look out for at Thame on Sunday.

Bjorn, one of nine members of Europe's successful Ryder Cup team in action at The Oxfordshire, won the Italian Open earlier this month. Twelve months ago, Bernhard Langer was a winner in Milan and he followed up by recording back-to-back wins at the Benson and Hedges International Open.

Nick Faldo, US Tour compatriot Per-Ulrik Johanssen and Spain's Ignacio Garrido are the three absentees from Valderrama, but a string of up and coming young players are likely to make this year's event the most competitive in its 27-year-history.

The searing heat of Phuket and Durban, though, is bound to be a far cry from the unpred- ictable English climate. Officials, sponsors, players and spectators will have been glued to Sunday's Country File forecast to see what this week had in store.

Despite the appalling conditions of the past two years, Langer's win, and the triumph of Trinidadian Stephen Ames in 1996, were sealed in thrilling finishes which gave the windswept and saturated spectators some solace.

A repeat of the drama of the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand in January when Woods edged out Els on the second extra hole may be too much to ask for this weekend. But, with the likes of Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood and Ian Woosnam battling for supremacy, there should no shortage of top-class golf for the fans.

Els hit back to win the second Tour event in his home country in February, while another runner-up, Jose-Maria Olazabal - second behind Bjorn in Italy - could be another one to watch.

The popular Spaniard has missed the previous two events at The Oxfordshire, but has happy memories of the B & H, claiming the title at St Mellion in 1990.

Fellow Spaniard Seve Ballesteros is another who will attract a huge gallery, but the tournament champion in 1994 is finding life on the fairways a struggle at the moment and he will be just glad to make Friday's cut.

Australian names appear on the trophy seven times, dating back to Jack Newton in 1972 and Pete O'Malley 23 years later.

Graham Marsh stands alongside Langer as the only player to win the event twice and Tour rookie Stephen Leaney - winner of the 1998 Moroccan Open - will be hoping to maintain the Antipodean tradition.

April's European Tour Golfer of the Month, Thomas Levet, will be hoping to live up to his title and repeat of his victory on home soil at the Cannes Open.

Peter Mitchell is the only British winner on the Tour so far after success in Portugal and he will be bidding to become only the sixth English player to lift the trophy - and £125,000 first prize.

Tony Jacklin won the inaugural event in 1971, Maurice Bembridge won in '79, followed by Mark James (1986), Peter Baker two years later and Paul Broadhurst in 1993.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.