HARTLEPOOL'S Graeme Storm is one of four golfers aiming to take advantage of the absence of Soren Hansen from The Belfry over the next four days.

If Storm is victorious at the Quinn Direct British Masters he could snatch the final place in the HSBC World Match Play Championship from the Dane.

Hansen's victory in Cologne on Sunday put him and Swede Henrik Stenson in line to claim the last two spots at Wentworth from the rankings list on the European Tour Order of Merit.

Stenson cannot be denied, but Hansen can be overtaken by Storm, South African Richard Sterne, Frenchman Gregory Havret and Australian Richard Green. Sterne only requires a top-three finish at The Belfry, starting today, but the others all have to win.

A first prize of £1m is on offer at the 16-man Match Play, where Paul Casey defends the title against a field including six-time winner Ernie Els, Open champion Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie, US Open champion Angel Cabrera and Justin Rose.

It would be a dream scenario for Storm, who won his first European Tour event in the summer at the French Open, and would give him the perfect boost ahead of his appearance for Great Britain & Ireland in next week's Seve Trophy in Ireland.

David Howell, one of Europe's Ryder Cup heroes a year ago, tees off this morning having had a stark reminder of just how bad the last 12 months have been.

Howell has been unable to claim a place in a ten-man team for next week's Seve Trophy, even being overlooked for a wild card by captain Nick Faldo.

"I am sure he made a very wise choice not picking me," said the 32-year-old from Swindon, who has slumped from third on last year's Order of Merit to 130th this season and is still looking for his first top-20 finish of 2007.

Although he is still 38 places above Marc Warren on the world rankings - they are 89th and 127th respectively - Faldo has selected the Scot, in addition to Yorkshireman Simon Dyson, to take on Seve Ballesteros' Continental Europe line-up.

For Warren and Dyson it is a real shot in the arm, with Faldo also the man who will lead Europe against the Americans next year.

Howell, on the other hand, has been forced out of a number of events through wrist and back problems but was in fine form at a practice session on Tuesday.

He said: "I was on the range at 8.30am and was still at five. Three weeks ago I couldn't have done that."