Yorkshire's Danny Willett has played just one tournament this year, but by winning the Spanish Amateur earlier this month the 20-year-old moved up from second to first in the world rankings run by the Royal and Ancient Club.

Now he makes his Tour debut after accepting an invitation to play in the Andalucian Open at Aloha near Marbella, a tournament which also sees Jose Maria Olazabal finally make his return to golf after seven more months out battling rheumatism.

Willett is back competing alongside Northern Ireland's 18-year-old Rory McIlroy six months after they went their separate ways following the Walker Cup.

McIlroy, leading amateur at last July's Open Championship, immediately turned professional and within a month had already finished third in the Dunhill Links Championship and fourth in the Madrid Open to secure his card for this season and earn over £200,000.

Clergyman's son Willett decided to stay on as an amateur for at least one more season and, as McIlroy did last year, can now enjoy the world number one tag.

"Last year was always too soon for me to turn pro," he said. "I wasn't even in the original Walker Cup squad, but to play in the match was a great experience and that's going to help me this year."

He twice played American champion Colt Knost in the singles and after losing on the first day sank a 22-foot putt on the final green on Sunday to grab a half which looked as though it might be vital at the time.

In the event the United States squeezed to a one-point victory, but Willett, likely to try for a Tour card himself at the qualifying school later in the year, had certainly made people sit up and take notice of him and maybe more will this week.

"I'm also playing in the Spanish Open at the start of May and we'll just see how it goes," he said.

Olazabal, meanwhile, has made it known he is far from 100% fit and will decide whether to play in next week's Houston Open and then the Masters only after he has seen how his body copes with the next two or four days.

"I'm not concerned about results at the moment," said the 42-year-old, twice a winner at Augusta.

He feared his future might be in a wheelchair during 18 months out in the mid-1990s and he admitted yesterday that much of his latest lay-off has been spent wondering if he would play on Tour again.

"When you have pain and a total lack of mobility you hit bottom, for sure," stated Olazabal. "But I miss competition, I miss putting myself to the test and I still want to play. It's been an important part of my life."

That includes the Ryder Cup, of course, but having not hit a shot in the qualifying race until today he accepts his role at Valhalla in September is almost certainly going to be as Nick Faldo's assistant and not, as he originally hoped, as a member of the team again.