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Embarking on the week that could save his golfing career Oliver Wilson didn't know which way to turn.

Well that's not exactly true. The Englishman knew he would be turning right at the plane door to a seat in economy but the former Ryder Cup star couldn't be sure of the aircraft's destination.

This was his situation only last Saturday. Would it be Hong Kong or South Africa that would provide the last tournament chance to regain his European Tour card?

"So where are you playing?" I asked him.

"Still don't know. Guess that's what happens when you play rubbish," Wilson replied with his familiar cheery grin.

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No player should be bigger than their sport but in men's professional golf we are getting to a tipping point that calls into question who is running the game.

The very top golfers play power games which have nothing to do with the length they despatch their drives. With their incredible wealth, these leading stars have the clout to influence significantly how the game is governed.

We have just seen the world's top two players ignore a World Golf Championships event, another major winner suggest he is ready to take legal action to prevent a rule change and the European Tour alter its qualifying criteria to suit its biggest names.

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods sat out the WGC Champions in Shenzhen last week. This is one of four events in the tier of tournament immediately below the quartet of majors that provide golf's yardstick.

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Darren Clarke was quick to tweet he has not been offered the next European Ryder Cup captaincy in was his.

But that didn't stop money pouring in on Clarke being appointed Jose Maria Olazabal's successor at Gleneagles in 2014. The 2011 Open Champion is quoted as odds-on after a week in which his candidature was given a massive boost.

First came the backing of his great friend and Europe's most experienced current player Lee Westwood. Then followed the report that the deal was already done.

Even if it isn't, the fact that it has been reported this way makes it potentially harder for the Players' Committee to overlook the 44-year-old from Northern Ireland.

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