We play for a lot of money at home, so it’s not easy to leave, but if you do well early in the year it opens the door to playing more abroad.”I think it’s very important to win outside the United States [though Janzen has never achieved that] and you can’t do it if you don’t play. I haven’t done it as much as some guys, but I think it does help make you a more complete player and you can see the world as well. Once my son Connor gets older we might travel a bit more.”Janzen was lying joint third at half-way in the Masters three weeks ago and remained only three off the lead with a round to go, but then shot 76 against Olazabal’s 71 and finished only 14th. Olazabal returned to action in Barcelona last week and missed the cut. He admits he is still a little flat after the high of Augusta, but said: “It’s just a matter of me putting myself in a position to win to bring the adrenalin back.”He and Janzen were Ryder Cup singles opponents at Valderrama two years ago – the American birdied the last three holes to win – but have not been paired together in the first two rounds tomorrow and Friday.Janzen plays with Ballesteros and Argentina’s Eduardo Romero, Olazabal with Sandelin and Scot Andrew Coltart. Howell has led the Order of Merit since his victory in the Dubai Desert Classic 10 weeks ago and if the 23-year-old can stay in the top two for another month a place in June’s US Open at Pinehurst will be his.

Otherwise, he will fly to the States to try to qualify.But he knows he has to produce quality golf to achieve his aim. Prize- money starts leaping up now with a winner’s cheque of nearly pounds 120,000 on offer this week, pounds 133,333 at the Benson and Hedges International in a fortnight, then pounds 200,000 in Germany and pounds 216,000 at the Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth.. STEPHEN HENDRY has made more centuries than any other snooker player in history – more than 400 – but his biggest break has occurred away from the table. Thieves broke into his hotel room on Tuesday night and left his most precious possession behind. Hendry, in Sheffield where he reached the semi-final of the World Championship last night with a 13-5 win over Matthew Stevens, returned to his hotel to discover hundreds of pounds worth of clothes and shoes had been stolen but the burglars, perhaps deliberately, had left untouched his cue and dress suit, which were lying on the bed.
To quantify his relief, albeit tempered by the loss of personal items, you must understand a cue is worth far more than the cost of the wood and the materials.

Players cherish their cue like their arms and prefer to stick with the same one throughout their career.Hendry has won six world titles with his and the chance of his becoming the first modern player to claim a seventh would have disappeared if it had been lost. Alain Robidoux was a world semi-finalist two years ago but has barely won a match since his cue was stolen in 1997 and has sunk this season from No 12 to No 37 in the rankings.Police used a helicopter to search for the thieves but they got away with a leather jacket, a video recorder and other items. Hendry has refused to put a value on the cue even though a pounds 10,000 reward was paid when it was stolen during a tournament in 1990.”Stephen was at the Crucible watching the snooker,” Hendry’s manager, Ian Doyle, said. “When he got back to the room and opened the door he realised immediately something was wrong. The police say it was sheer chance the room they broke into was Stephen’s. He’s not moving hotels, but he’s changed rooms.”The defending champion, John Higgins, the world No 3 Ronnie O’Sullivan and the 1991 champion, John Parrott, are just some of the players staying at the hotel It is believed no other room was touched..

NEWS OF Kevin Keegan’s messianic impact on England and Fulham has clearly reached the Danube for, after gaining a home draw against England here last night, the Hungarian team went on a lap of honour which was wildly celebrated. England were less chirpy after having victory snatched from them when Alan Shearer’s 21st-minute penalty was cancelled out 15 minutes from time by Janos Hrutka’s free-kick, but any disappointment the players felt will have been swept away by the news that Keegan, who has made as big an impact with them as he has with the fans, will be taking the job permanently. Given the euphoria which will greet that decision it was, perhaps, a good thing that England only drew. The makeshift team had their moments in a solid but unspectacular performance, but Keegan should be aware that there is a still lot of work required to match the expectations placed on him.
The immediate task is the summer’s two Euro 2000 qualifiers but, unfortunately, little was learned last night which will be relevant in June. Shearer again looked much happier playing with a partner who was prepared, unlike Michael Owen, to drop off and allow him to lead the line.