Toms eyeing Match Play slot

Toms: In-form

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Former USPGA champion David Toms has one eye on the Accenture World Match Play when he tees it up in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week.

Toms has moved up to 66th in the world rankings following his fine start to the season and needs to jump up at least one spot to make the field in Arizona later this month.

Of the dozen players on the bubble only Pat Perez, Dudley Hart and DJ Trahan are teeing it up this week, meaning Toms should only need to make the cut to book his place in the Match Play field.

And that should be the least of Toms' worries based on his form so far this season, which has seen him return to form with a second place at the Sony Open and fourth place in the FBR Open.

The 42-year-old started the year ranked 116th after a poor 2008, and he admitted the incentive to get into the better events gave him the boost he needed to raise his game.

"I've been able to play well knowing that I needed to," said Toms, who is a former winner of the Match Play and has got past the first round in each of the last nine years.

"So that's been very encouraging. I know if I go out and play well, that will take care of itself.

"I think there would be an outside chance if I didn't play this tournament that I could make the top 64. I don't really know the scenarios. But I know if I play this tournament and I play well, I'll get in."

Harrington relishing team event

Padraig Harrington will teaming up with old sparring partner JP McManus in the Pro-Am event with the pair teeing off alongside fellow Irishmen Paul McGinley and Dermot Desmond.

Harrington admits to being a little rusty so early in the season and is hoping to build on last week's first outing, when he finished in a tie for 24th at the Buick Invitational.

"I obviously struggled last week," said the world number three. "I knew I was struggling at the start of the week.

"But you kind of expect that when you come out after the winter. I've done quite a bit of work and what tends to happen is when you are changing things and working on things you overdo it.

"It does take a little bit of competition, a little bit of playing to figure that out."

Harrington is hoping the more relaxed nature of the Pro-Am event will help to bring about an improved performance.

"I get into the idea of the team event, of trying to do well in that and that keeps me going in the individual event. It just works very well for me," he added.

"It's entertaining for me. We have a very relaxed week off the golf course and I'll try harder to win the team event than I will the individual event this week."