Tiger Woods’ former coach Butch Harmon reckons Rory McIlroy is one of two main challengers to the world number one.

Harmon singled out McIlroy from the European Tour and American Anthony Kim from the PGA Tour as the two players most likely to put pressure on Woods when he returns from injury in the spring.

“Woods is mentally a very strong character. You can't see his strength because it's all up there in his mind, he’s so strong," Harmon said.

"At the same time there are a few young players who are doing very well and if I were to pick one from each Tour, I'd pick Anthony Kim and Rory McIlroy.”

Meanwhile, Darren Clarke’s new course, Moyvalley, near Dublin, is to get the perfect workout.

The European Tour have given it the seal of approval as the venue for this year’s Challenge of Ireland event in June.

Clarke – who won the Benmore Developments Northern Ireland Masters at Clandeboye, an event he sponsored on the Challenge Tour in 2003 — believes that Moyvalley has the potential to be “one of the premium clubs in world golf”.

“Moyvalley’s 550 acres of rolling countryside presented a fantastic challenge and the results are spectacular,” said Clarke.

“ I look forward to seeing the course develop into one which golfers across the world will want to play and enjoy.

“I’m especially delighted with the greens, which are among the best putting surfaces in the country.

“As a Champions Club member, it is our intention to roll out this club as one of the premium clubs in the world.”

Clarke will compete in this week’s Dubai Desert Classic.

The huge prizemoney on offer ensures a top quality field — bad news for Michael Hoey and Jonathan Caldwell who are both on the reserve list but highly unlikely to make the field — but Clarke will still be joined by three of his fellow Ulstermen, McIlroy, Gareth Maybin and Graeme McDowell.

Maybin received the final sponsor’s invitation to play this week, a legacy of his runners-up finish to Richard Sterne in the South African Open last month, losing a play-off.

McDowell will be playing his first event of the year after taking the best part of the last couple of months off.