Ulster division as Clarke, McDowell tee up in California

GRAEME MCDOWELL remembers that Darren Clarke did not give him enough strokes when they first met at Royal Portrush 11 years ago.

Today, though, there will not be any shots on offer when they clash again in the £3.9m Accenture World Match Play Championship in California.

The event is restricted to the top 64 in the world and McDowell described it as "surreal" when he heard his debut would come against the only other Ulsterman in the field.

They were born just 25 miles apart, McDowell in Portrush and Clarke in Dungannon, but the Ryder Cup star is older by 11 years and was already into his professional career when they paired up for nine holes one Saturday.

"It was probably more memorable for me. I was a four or five- handicapper and I don't think he gave me enough shots," said McDowell yesterday.

"It's always more difficult when you are friendly with someone.

"For 18 holes, though, we're going to be trying to beat each other up. There's time to be friends again after the match!

"Darren was inspirational for me growing up and had a lot to do with me joining the same management stable. He's always been full of advice and support, especially when I won my first event three years ago."

That was the Scandinavian Masters only the fourth event McDowell had appeared in as a professional.

He just missed out on a Ryder Cup debut last September and, despite a sixth place finish on the European Order of Merit, has not received an invitation to the Masters in April yet.

Beating Clarke would help him achieve that, though, as he needs to move into the world's top 50.

Of the McDowell clash, Clarke said: "I've played friends lots of times and you just have to put the blinkers on."

Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods will both be chasing hat-tricks in rain-lashed California.

Mickelson will try to make it three consecutive US Tour wins, and starts against compatriot Loren Roberts.

Woods, meanwhile, has lifted this particular title the last two years, his last defeat being a shock first-round exit to Peter O'Malley in 2002. He faces former Open and US PGA champion Nick Price this time.

But when Mickelson was asked to name a favourite for the title, he backed number one seed Vijay Singh.

He said: "Vijay has had 10 wins in almost a year and that's pretty impressive."

Singh tackles Shingo Katayama, the Japanese player who has come in as first reserve following the withdrawal of world number three Ernie Els.

Els, who has never gone beyond the second round in previous trips to the La Costa Resort near San Diego, is the only one of the top 64 not present.

Mickelson said: "I understand his reasons for not coming, but I still wish he was here."

If the seedings work out, Singh would play US Open champion Retief Goosen in the other half.

The leading Europeans in the rankings are Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia. Harrington takes on 1999 winner Jeff Maggert and Garcia plays German Alex Cejka.