Karlsson - Hard to keep focus

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Last updated: 29th October 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Karlsson - Hard to keep focus

Karlsson: leading OOM race

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Robert Karlsson has admitted he is finding it hard to retain his focus as he looks to secure a first European Order of Merit crown at the Volvo Masters this week.

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The Swede is odds-on favourite to do so as he heads to Valderrama with a €297,425 (£230,312 ) advantage over closest rival Padraig Harrington.

Two other Ryder Cup colleagues, Lee Westwood and Miguel Angel Jimenez, also still have a chance of reeling him in, but all three know they must win in Spain if they are to have any chance of preventing Karlsson from becoming the first Swede to claim the Harry Vardon trophy.

Many observers feel the Scandinavian would be a worthy winner given his hugely consistent season which includes two victories and a total of 12 top-tens, but Karlsson remains all too aware that events could yet still conspire against him.

"Golf is not about justice," Karlsson stated. "I can't go into this week thinking that. It only takes a big shift on the leaderboard to change everything.

"It will be hard to focus because I'm reminded about the Order of Merit all the time.

"What I have to remember, though, is that I am only able to control what I'm doing - I can't control what others are doing."

Karlsson believes the testing Valderrama lay-out will have a major say in who emerges triumphant on Sunday evening with accuracy key at the Spanish course.

"Here it is a precision game. Whoever is more accurate is going to win or get a good result," he added.