Clarke targets top five spot in world

Darren Clarke has survived a pre-Christmas visit to Lapland and a post-Christmas accident on a new toy going into this week’s Mercedes Championship in Hawaii, the first tournament on the 2004 US Tour schedule. And, having set himself a target of improving his world ranking from 11th to 5th before the end of the year, he needs to get cracking!

With his weight under control after daily sessions in the gym combined with careful managing of his diet Clarke is now all set for what he hopes will be one of the best campaigns in his 14 year professional career. He looks back happily enough on 2003: "a climb up the world rankings, victory in the States, a visit to Santa and a lucky escape in a crash and I'm really looking forward to bigger and better things in '04."

It was a good season capped by victory in the WGC NEC Invitational in Akron, Ohio, which helped considerably in bumping him up from 29th to 11th in the world rankings, and he says that was pleasing given the number of changes he made at the beginning of the year attitude, caddy, fitness etc.