NINE of Europe's triumphant Ryder Cup team will be at The Oxfordshire on Thursday when the Benson and Hedges International Open gets under way.

Only Nick Faldo, Jesper Parnevik and Ignatio Garrido will be missing as Europe's leading stars chase a first prize of £125,000 at the Thame course, while captain Seve Ballesteros will be seeks to end his lean spell on the European Tour.

Defending champion Bernhard Langer faces a tough task if he is to become the first player to win the title three times - and the first to make a successful defence.

Lee Westwood and Ireland's Darren Clarke made a huge impression at the Augusta Masters earlier this year and both men will be keen to take the honours at the Tour's first event in the UK in 1998.

Clarke was in the running 12 months ago, but he tripped up at the notorious 17th hole and allowed Langer to lift the trophy after a weather-delayed final round.

Ian Woosnam fired a great final round last May to threaten his German rival.

But the Welshman slipped up after a thunderstorm caused play to be abandoned for a short time. Scotland's Colin Montgomerie is sure to be one of the favourites despite his horrendous experiences on his last two visits to The Oxfordshire.

For Jose-Maria Olazabal, meanwhile, it will be his first look at the pride of Oxfordshire's fairways and greens for a couple of years.

He is obviously taking the event seriously, having chosen not to defend his Spanish Masters title in Majorca over the weekend.

Sponsors and club officials will be hoping a little Mediterranean sunshine adorns the third staging of the event at The Oxfordshire, after freakish weather spoiled the 1996 and '97 tournaments for the players and more especially the paying spectators.

The traditional Pro-Am sets the ball rolling on Wednesday, with the first players due to tee-off at 7.10 the next day for four days of top-class action.

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