Van de Velde just glad to be fit for Ryder field

Europe's Ryder Cup points race begins at the Omega Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland, today, but while the continent's leading golfers will be desperate to lead the stampede towards next year's match in Kentucky one well-known professional is simply happy to be in the field.

Jean Van de Velde admitted after his practice round on the alpine layout yesterday that it is a "massive relief" to be back since falling ill more than five months ago. The Frenchman has been undergoing tests since March, and even had a scan for bone cancer during the week of the Open Championship at Carnoustie in July. Thankfully, that came back negative and it is now believed that the 41-year-old – himself a former Ryder Cup player – has been suffering from a virus.

"The final diagnosis was that I had 'mononucleosis', which is strange because I had it before," he said. "It was a relief, to be honest, to know it is nothing more serious. I had it a very long time ago and it resurfaced.

"This time my antibodies didn't work. It's six months for it to go and I first started with it in March-April, so I'm pretty much over it now."

Van de Velde currently lies 121st in the Order of Merit and his principal aim is to climb into the top 60 to qualify for the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama in November. But for established Ryder performers such as Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke and David Howell their focus will already be on making Nick Faldo's team. The qualifying criteria remains the same as in 2004 and 2006. Five players from the European Points List and five from the World Points List qualify automatically, with Faldo then picking two wildcards.

In Chicago, Luke Donald, Justin Rose and Ian Poulter will attempt to secure points in the world list as they tee up in the BMW Championship, the third tournament of the inaugural FedEx Cup.

The PGA Tour's much-pilloried 'play-off' series will this week whittle down the remaining 66 professionals to the 30 who will go on to next week's Tour Championship in Atlanta.

The final leader of the FedEx Cup points table will receive $10m (£5m) that will be put into a pension fund. Tiger Woods, as ever, remains the favourite.