Clarke’s game in good shape for Dunhill

DARREN CLARKE returns after a month away from the competitive arena for this week’s €4 million Dunhill Links Championship, starting over the great links of St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns on Thursday.

Clarke has been devoting as much time as he can to caring for his wife, Heather, who is battling cancer, and as a result has lacked the competitive edge so essential for success at the highest level. He is looking forward avidly to a fun week with England’s cricket captain Michael Vaughan, a 12 handicapper, as his amateur partner and Lee Westwood and manager Chubby Chandler completing this particular fourball.

Clarke’s game is in pretty good shape and he’s hopeful his practice he has been getting in at the exclusive Queenwood club near his home in Surrey will stand to him.

The Dunhill Links is a tournament that has invariably been good to the Irish. Pádraig Harrington captured the first prize in 2002 while Graeme McDowell went down against Scot Stephen Gallacher 12 months ago. Furthermore, Paul McGinley travels to Scotland with his confidence on a high after a series of excellent performances in the HSBC World Match Play, where he reached the final, and in the Seve Trophy, when he claimed 3.5 points in all from a possible five.

McGinley currently leads the European points list for the Ryder Cup and should he depart the Home of Golf with the first prize of €600,000, would more or less clinch his place at The K Club in 12 months. The other Irish in the field are McDowell, Gary Murphy and Damien McGrane.